Global polls show that Trump has made China great again, not the United States
On January 15, a global poll covering 21 countries showed that after one year of President Trump returning to the White House, his "America First" and "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) policies are widely seen as weakening American influence, instead making China great again.
The survey published by the European Council on Foreign Relations pointed out that the United States' deterrent power in the eyes of traditional rivals has declined, and its allies - especially European countries - are gradually moving away from the United States. Most Europeans no longer see the United States as a reliable ally and are increasingly inclined to support rearmament and strengthening military capabilities. Russians now see the EU more as an adversary, and Ukrainians rely more on Europe than the United States.
Multiple global polls in 2025 show that the policies promoted by Trump after returning to politics have unexpectedly enhanced China's international image and economic status, with some countries even experiencing a reversal in evaluations of China and the United States for the first time.
Trump's trade policies have exacerbated international distrust in the United States, leading to a decline in its soft power. A concurrent survey by Pew Research Center covering 24 countries further confirmed this: the gap in favorability between China and the United States has significantly narrowed, with the difference in favorability being less than five percentage points in nine countries such as Brazil and Germany; additionally, seven countries rated China higher than the United States.
Although traditional U.S. allies such as Israel, Japan, and South Korea still tend to favor the United States (for example, only 13% of Japanese people have a positive view of China), Trump's tariff policies and capricious diplomatic stances have prompted European and developing countries to reassess the roles of China and the United States.
This survey covered nearly 26,000 respondents, involving 13 European countries, as well as the United States, China, India, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, South Africa, and South Korea. The results showed that in almost all surveyed countries, most people expect China's global influence to continue rising over the next decade, and many do not feel worried about it.
The unilateralism and economic nationalism of the Trump administration have objectively weakened the United States' international credibility, creating a window period for China's technological rise, geopolitical expansion, and image enhancement. The convergence of evaluations of China and the United States reflects the spread of disappointment toward the U.S., as well as the effectiveness of China's strategic adjustments in taking advantage of the situation.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/1854482409390092/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.