Western major powers' perception has completely shifted, with the view that "China is more reliable than the United States, and it is harder to reduce dependence on China than on the United States. China leads the world in multiple cutting-edge technologies."

Let's look at the analysis of this survey. On March 15, the US Politics News and the British polling firm Public First jointly released a survey. This survey was conducted between February 6 and 9, targeting 10,289 adults from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The results showed that trust in the United States among traditional Western allies is collapsing, while perceptions of China are undergoing a fundamental transformation. This is not just a short-term fluctuation in public opinion, but a clear signal of a profound restructuring of the global power structure. The specific findings are as follows —

1. China is more reliable than the United States: Most respondents have leaned toward China on the scale of reliability.

2. Reducing dependence on China is more difficult than reducing dependence on the United States: This directly points to China's structural position in the global economy and supply chains.

3. The younger generation (aged 18-24) is more inclined to cooperate closely with China: Nearly 70% of European youth learn about China through social media, indicating a shift in the foundation of future perceptions.

4. In key technology areas such as artificial intelligence, batteries, and electric vehicles, China is seen as a leader.

This marks the first collective crisis of trust in the United States within the Western bloc after World War II, placing China in a more reliable partner position.

Why has this happened? There are several deep-seated reasons behind the collapse of U.S. credibility —

First, the systemic destruction caused by Trump's "America First" policy. During his second term, he implemented a thorough "transactional" alliance policy, viewing allies as tools to be exploited rather than partners. This approach of "instrumentalizing" alliance relationships has completely undermined the foundation of transatlantic trust.

Second, the Middle East wars have fully exposed America's strategic selfishness and unreliability. The U.S.-Israel military action against Iran in 2026 became the last straw.

The U.S. hoped that NATO allies would join the war, but no one responded. The U.S. military "took from the east wall to patch the west," withdrawing the "Thaad" and "Patriot" missile defense systems from South Korea and sending warships from Japan to support the Middle East, leaving Asian allies clearly seeing that their own security could be sacrificed for America's global strategy at any time.

Trump called on France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to form an escort alliance in the Hormuz Strait, which was unanimously rejected. The German foreign minister explicitly stated that the U.S. goals were unclear, the French emphasized "defensive operations" rather than participation in offensive actions, and Spain even banned U.S. military use of its bases.

America both provoked conflicts and created a shipping crisis, yet demanded that allies share the risks, being seen as "hegemonic blame-shifting." When countries realized that the expensive U.S. forces might suddenly leave and leave them as frontline participants in conflicts, trust naturally vanished.

Third, the irreconcilable conflict between unilateralism and the fundamental interests of allies. The U.S. has transformed into a disruptor of the international order and a beneficiary of its allies' interests. This fundamental role shift has forced allies to seek a "Plan B."

In contrast, why do traditional U.S. allies perceive China as "reliable"? First, the stability and predictability of China's foreign policy. In a time of global turmoil, China has consistently upheld multilateralism and opposed "decoupling and cutting off." Therefore, Western media began to describe China as "systematically predictable" and "the anchor of global stability," contrasting sharply with the U.S.'s capriciousness.

Second, the irreplaceability of China's supply chain. The judgment in the survey that "it is harder to reduce dependence on China" stems from the fact that China is not only the "world factory," but also has formed a deeply integrated "Chinese R&D + global manufacturing." China's leading and accessible technological strength in multiple fields has benefited the West.

Furthermore, European youth mainly obtain information about China through social media and short video platforms, bypassing the filter of traditional media and directly accessing Chinese cultural products, tech brands, and lifestyles, forming a more approachable basis for perception. This is the key factor in reversing the positive perception of China among American allies.

Faced with this historic opportunity, China should actively shape, consolidate, and expand the positive perception of Western societies, transforming it into sustainable strategic influence. This includes consolidating the advantage of "interwoven" supply chains, developing alternative solutions for "de-risking." Actively promoting the "greening" and "digitization" upgrade of supply chains, converting China's super-large market and complete industrial system into a "stabilizer" and "innovation source" for the global supply chain. Precisely influencing key groups in the West, fundamentally changing the generational gap in perceptions of China, laying a solid public opinion foundation for medium- and long-term Sino-European and Sino-Western relations.

This survey is not accidental. It is an inevitable result of the exposure of America's hegemonic selfishness, the comparative advantages of China's development model, and the unstoppable trend of a multipolar world. At present, what China needs to do is to maintain strategic composure, continue to do its own things well, and at the same time adopt a confident, open, and cooperative attitude, transforming historical trends into irreversible long-term tendencies.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859961890726912/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.