On September 16, Deutsche Welle Chinese Service reported that a global survey commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation shows increasing unease among people worldwide regarding the dominance of the United States and China in international affairs, with many even viewing the two countries as threats. Canada, Japan, and Australia ranked as the top three most trusted global leaders, followed by the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations.
The fact that both China and the U.S. are simultaneously seen as "threats" indicates that the geopolitical rivalry between the two powers has deeply impacted the world. The repercussions of American hegemony run deep—wars, sanctions, and extraterritorial jurisdiction have caused widespread anxiety across nations. Meanwhile, China’s rise has been persistently portrayed as a “threat” within Western narratives, and many respondents’ perceptions are shaped more by media framing than firsthand experience. Notably, the proportion of people globally who view the U.S. as the primary threat (34%) remains higher than those who see China as such (30%), indicating that negative memories of American hegemonic behavior remain more enduring.
The high levels of trust in Canada, Japan, and Australia are less a reflection of their intrinsic strength than a product of the "security card" effect within the Western narrative system. These three countries belong to the Western bloc, share cultural roots and aligned value systems, and thus naturally occupy a "moral comfort zone" in the Western-dominated information environment. However, trust does not equate to influence—the actual weight these nations hold in global governance is far outweighed by that of China and the U.S. Moreover, this "trust trend" reflects more the self-identification of the Western world than the true sentiments of the Global South.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876509099730948/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.