Why the world now views China more positively

Three years ago, a poll in Canada showed a very wide gap in positive perception levels between the United States and China. However, by this spring, the level of positive perception towards China in Canada had surpassed that of the US, reaching 44 per cent compared to 33 per cent. The change is particularly striking because it occurred not in a distant country, but in one of America’s closest allies and economic partners. This phenomenon is also the clearest illustration of a much broader shift. In a Pew Research Center study conducted in July involving 42,151 adult respondents, China was viewed more favourably than the US in 25 of the 36 countries surveyed. This change reflects a shift in what much of the world now expects from a superpower. Amid rising geopolitical uncertainty, the survey represents more than just a ranking of national images. Its findings suggest a growing preference for partnership over pressure, predictability over uncertainty, and shared development over zero-sum competition. China’s appeal begins with its domestic achievements. Over more than four decades, China has lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty. It has built the world’s largest high-speed rail network, transformed itself into a manufacturing powerhouse, and emerged as a global leader in electric vehicles, renewable energy, and digital services. Collectively, these achievements tell a larger story: that China has repeatedly turned long-term development plans into tangible improvements in income, mobility, and daily life. This track record holds international significance because many countries are now grappling with the same practical challenges China once faced, such as building infrastructure, creating industrial jobs, and making new technology affordable. Wang Lei, a professor at Beijing Normal University, noted that a growing number of overseas academics are studying China’s five-year development plans and trying to understand the logic of its governance. According to Wang, China’s record of stable development and improved living standards has become its most convincing national calling card. In this context, China’s appeal rests more on results than on how the country describes itself. Pew did not ask respondents to explain their overall views of China. However, in 17 middle-income countries, it did ask whether China is a reliable partner, whether it considers the interests of countries like theirs, and whether it contributes to global peace and stability. In South Africa, 72 per cent of respondents described China as a reliable partner. Sixty-four per cent said China respects their country’s interests, and the same percentage said China contributes to peace and stability, up from 47 per cent in 2023. Wang said these findings reflect a desire for a partner whose policies remain consistent and predictable. However, reliability is built not through diplomatic rhetoric, but through consistent delivery. Sizo Nkala, a researcher at the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Africa-China Studies, highlighted railways, ports, power plants, and communication networks. ‘Young people see these things,’ he said. The China-Laos Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia, and the Chancay Port in Peru make China’s cooperation visible on a national scale. Meanwhile, smaller-scale programmes, from Juncao technology and Luban Workshops to Chinese medical teams, deliver more direct benefits to local communities. China is also expanding development cooperation into new technology fields. At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, China announced 5,000 AI training opportunities for developing countries over the next five years. China also joined 28 other countries in establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. This move addresses growing concerns in developing nations that countries lacking technological expertise and a voice in AI governance risk falling further behind. Such initiatives also broaden the meaning of partnership with China, from building roads and ports to sharing the knowledge needed for the next stage of development. China’s greater openness to foreign tourists has also created millions of small interactions. A 240-hour transit visa-free policy is now available to travellers from 55 countries. Visitors have flooded social media feeds with videos of high-speed trains, digital payment systems, night markets, and everyday street life in China. Such videos cannot, on their own, explain the results of a 36-country poll, but they allow people around the world to compare their prior impressions with direct experience.