Sorry Mr Trump, China Is Increasingly Preferred Over the US by Developing Nations
The global perception map is beginning to shift, with China now viewed more positively than the United States in more countries. For developing nations, this change signals the growing appeal of Beijing’s approach, which is oriented towards development and national interests.
A recent Pew Research Center survey shows that, for the first time in more than two decades, China has gained a more favourable image than the US in a greater number of countries. Why is this happening?
This shift indicates that global influence is increasingly determined not only by political and security power, but also by the ability to offer tangible economic benefits.
“The Global South is not becoming anti-American; they are becoming strategically pragmatic,” wrote Maya Majueran in a column published by Xinhua News Agency.
According to Majueran, the foreign policies of developing countries are increasingly driven by national interests, economic opportunities, and development priorities. This is not the geopolitical alignment of the Cold War era.
For many developing countries, China offers partnerships focused on infrastructure, investment, industrialisation, technology transfer, and trade. Through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has mobilised nearly US$1 trillion in infrastructure investment, with projects addressing transport, energy, connectivity, and industrial capacity needs.
Majueran argues that China’s appeal also stems from the tangible results of its cooperation. Projects such as the railway network in Ethiopia and power plants in Pakistan are seen as answering everyday development needs, while industrial cooperation and technology transfer help boost local capacity.
“This integrated approach has produced real improvements in productivity, connectivity and local capacity,” Majueran wrote.
Beyond investment, China is expanding market access, granting duty-free treatment to many least-developed countries, deepening currency swap arrangements, and promoting the use of local currencies in cross-border trade. These measures are seen as reducing transaction costs and exchange rate risks while opening opportunities for developing countries to integrate more deeply into regional and global value chains.
Another factor is China’s diplomatic approach, which emphasises sovereignty, mutual respect, and non-interference in internal affairs. For a number of governments in the Global South, this approach provides greater room to determine their own political and development paths.
At the same time, China’s transformation over four decades—including lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and its advances in manufacturing, infrastructure, and technology—has become a reference point for developing countries pursuing development. This change reinforces the trend towards a more multipolar world order.
“In China, developing countries find a true friend and a good partner,” Majueran wrote.
Majueran also stressed that the Global South is no longer a passive participant in world affairs, but is increasingly capable of making choices based on national interests and the aspirations of its people.