An opinion poll shows that countries prefer the United States over China as the leading superpower

A new poll of nine large countries shows a strong preference for the United States, rather than China, as the leading superpower.

why does it matter: Eurasia Group Foundation (EGF) vote It is the latest indication that many around the world are viewing China’s rise with trepidation.

split it up: Majorities in India, Nigeria, Poland, and Brazil—and pluralists in Egypt and Mexico—believe that US influence in their region has been generally positive over the past 20 years.

• In China, 62% thought it was negative.

This is a relatively new phenomenon In China. When EGF first conducted this survey in 2019, only 17% of Chinese respondents had negative views of the United States in general. Three years later, 45% do so.

• Views of China in the US are getting more negative, according to recent polls from Bio And the Gallup.
• It does not favor Washington over Beijing everywhere around the world. The EGF found in 2021 that two-thirds of Russians would prefer China to be the leading global power.
• Among the nine countries in the new EGF poll, the main reason for choosing the United States was that it was a “trustworthy economic partner,” while the main reason for choosing China was that it was a “good example of national development.”

EGF also asked about two others American Exports: Popular Culture and “Ideas of Democracy”.

• While the January 6 hearings in Washington highlighted the fragile state of American democracy, the vast majority in Nigeria, India, Poland, Brazil and Egypt view American democracy favorably and want their ruling system to become more like the American one.
• Even in China, 32% see “American ideas of democracy” as positive, although this is down from 45% in 2019. Meanwhile, 28% want China’s government to become more like America.
• American soft power remains strong. The vast majority in every country except Egypt believes that American films, music, and television have had a positive impact on their countries. Including China.

direction: Positive views of the United States have increased dramatically in Germany, Japan and Mexico since Donald Trump left office.

• However, respondents in Japan and Germany tend to be ambivalent about American influence and military cooperation with their American allies. (The majority in Japan are “neutral” on both questions.)
• By contrast, survey respondents in Poland, India, Nigeria and Brazil overwhelmingly support cooperation with the US military.
• But in Egypt, which is one of the largest recipients of US military aid, 60% view military cooperation with the US negatively.

More poll:

• Pluralists in every country believe the United States has handled the Russian invasion of Ukraine well, except for China (where responses are evenly divided) and Japan (where the majority are “neutral”).
• Perhaps surprisingly for Americans, 52% of respondents in the nine countries think the United States has handled the pandemic well, up from 41% in last year’s poll (participants from China and Germany are the most skeptical).
• When asked about their biggest concerns about the US system of government, the number one answer across the nine countries was the income gap between rich and poor.

Complete and systematic survey.