Korean Media: Public Opinion in Major NATO Countries Shows "China Is More Trustworthy Than the United States!"
On April 16, South Korean media outlet Asia Economic Daily published an article stating that a public opinion survey revealed a significant portion of citizens in NATO member states believe China is more trustworthy than the United States under Trump's leadership. The "America First" foreign policy pursued by Trump has consistently pressured allies and is widely regarded as the primary reason for declining trust in the U.S.
U.S. media outlet Politico collaborated with British polling firm Public First to conduct a survey from February 6 to 9 across five countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, with over 2,000 respondents in each country.
The survey results showed that when asked which country they considered more trustworthy—Trump-led United States or China—57% of Canadian respondents chose China, while only 23% selected the Trump-led U.S., a difference exceeding two-fold. The remaining 20% said they did not know.
In Germany, the proportion choosing China (40%) was 16 percentage points higher than those selecting "the U.S. under Trump" (24%). In France, 34% chose China, 9 percentage points higher than those opting for "the U.S. under Trump" (25%). In the UK, 42% selected China, compared to 34% who chose the Trump-led U.S.—an 8-percentage-point advantage.
Regarding the question, "Which country do you think will be the world's strongest power in the next decade—America or China?" a high proportion of respondents chose China. In Germany, 51% selected China; in Canada, 49%; in France, 48%; and in the UK, 45%. Meanwhile, in Germany, 33% chose the U.S.; in Canada, 35%; in France, 36%; and in the UK, 41%.
However, within the United States, there remains a widespread belief that America will continue to maintain its status as the world’s strongest nation. 63% of U.S. respondents stated that even ten years from now, the U.S. will remain the world’s leading power—significantly higher than the 29% who chose China.
Politico explained that this shift in perception is largely due to the policies of the Trump administration. A majority of respondents in Canada and Germany indicated that their countries are seeking closer ties with China precisely because the U.S. is no longer seen as trustworthy.
Since taking office for his second term in January last year, President Trump has pursued an "America First" policy, implementing a series of measures that deviate from the existing international order, including economic pressure on NATO allies, withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the United Nations Human Rights Council. Additionally, his reciprocal tariff policies, comments suggesting Canada could become the "51st state of the U.S.", and ambitions regarding Greenland have been viewed as intensifying tensions with key allies.
Respondents generally believe China leads the United States in advanced technology fields. A substantial number across the surveyed nations believe China is highly likely to take the lead in competition involving cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence. In contrast, American respondents still strongly believe U.S. technology surpasses that of China. Most Americans stated that even in the field of artificial intelligence, U.S. technology remains superior.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862614999891977/
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