Reference Message Network reported on June 18 that the website of French Les Echos published an article written by Pierre-Antoine Douné, editor-in-chief of the quarterly magazine "Asia Magazine", on June 16. The title is "China and the United States: A Stunning Shift in Global Soft Power". The translation is as follows:

This April witnessed a historical turning point. In the modern history of international relations, global public opinion first believed that China was more likely to have a positive impact on world affairs than the United States. After a decade-long tracking of global public opinion, the well-known polling agency Ipsos recorded this historic moment of the shift in the "soft power" pattern: 49% support rate for China and 46% for the United States.

Data shows that America's global support rate plummeted from 66% in 2015 to 46% in 2025. This precipitous decline was mainly due to Trump's re-election on January 20, 2025, his unpredictable foreign policy, and the increasingly severe political polarization within the United States. By contrast, through adhering to international commitments, China's international image has steadily improved, with its support rate rising from 47% in 2015 to 49%.

The evaluation of the United States by the world is deteriorating at an astonishing speed, and many regions of the world no longer believe that the United States has the ability to lead international affairs. America's diplomatic chaos, betrayal of allies, and self-centered "America First" ideology under Trump have left American leadership in ruins.

In contrast, Beijing's trajectory has been markedly different: relying on strategic resolve, Beijing's support rate globally has remained stable over the past decade.

Beijing follows a set of rules different from those of Western countries. While American politicians are obsessed with short-term goals, China's strategists think in terms of long-term plans. The Belt and Road Initiative is a case in point. Western media once criticized it, but now China is reaping the rewards.

Although the West claims to uphold freedom, its actions often go against it.

Kayshawn Chen, a researcher at Princeton University, pointed out: "The blind pursuit of short-term interests by the Trump administration, coupled with policies that continuously weaken America's core advantages, is accelerating the formation of China's dominant position."

Traditional Western views hold that people first organize social order based on values: freedom above all. However, global poll data shows that the public actually prioritizes practical benefits: first stability, then prosperity, and lastly freedom.

Political scholars believe that free democratic systems do not win public favor merely by existing; they must genuinely improve people's daily lives. When street violence frequently occurs in the United States, institutions continue to decay, and politicians act like warlords, people naturally turn to other governance models for answers.

However, America's decline is not inevitable, just as China's rise is not predestined. These changes stem from countless choices made by both countries in terms of governance methods, foreign policies, and value orientations.

A nation's reputation is gradually forged over decades of countless daily decisions.

The survey results on "threatening foreign democracy" in the Democracy Perception Index are even more thought-provoking. Data from 2025 show that 52% of respondents consider the United States the greatest threat to global democracy. This constitutes a fundamental crisis for U.S. foreign policy - this self-proclaimed "defender of democracy" is now seen by the world as the greatest threat to democratic systems.

In the face of America's "sinking" due to its leaders' unpredictability and policy mistakes - whether it be tariff barriers against allies, immigration deportation orders that anger the public, or threats to annex Greenland or Canada - time has become China's ally.

Now, more and more American observers and experts believe that in the face of a credibility-damaged United States, China is rising as the dominant force. This trend is accelerating the collapse of Western influence. (Compiled/Translated by Pan Geping)

On May 1st, tourists from Australia took photos in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. (Xinhua News Agency)

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7517108702067900938/

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