A broad international survey suggests that President Donald Trump's approach to global affairs has coincided with a growing perception that China, rather than the United States, represents the more stable and reliable power in a rapidly shifting world order.
Across much of the world, respondents expect China's global influence to increase over the next decade, while few believe U.S. power will grow. Many still expect Washington to remain influential, but the data point to a view of the United States under Trump as a more transactional power, no longer anchoring a liberal international order or a cohesive Western alliance.
The findings come from a public opinion survey conducted in November 2025 by the European Council on Foreign Relations in partnership with Oxford University's Europe in a Changing World project and revealed on Thursday. The poll surveyed nearly 26,000 adults across 21 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, including the United States, China, India, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa.
Europe stands out as a region where confidence in the United States has fallen sharply. Only a small minority of Europeans now describe the U.S. as an ally, while a growing share see it as a rival or adversary. At the same time, respondents in many countries—particularly South Africa, Brazil, Turkey, and Russia—expect their relationships with China to strengthen in the next five years, often more so than ties with Washington.
China's perceived rise extends beyond geopolitics. Majorities or large pluralities in Europe and the United States believe China will lead globally in electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies over the next decade. Few respondents express fear of this shift. Only in Ukraine and South Korea do majorities view China primarily as a rival or adversary.
In several emerging economies, including South Africa and Brazil, more people now describe China as an ally or necessary partner than say the same of the United States.
In most countries, fewer respondents than a year earlier believe Trump is good for American citizens, their own countries, or global peace. Still, substantial minorities in countries such as India, Turkey, China, and Ukraine say Trump has effectively defended U.S. interests, reinforcing the perception of America as a "normal" great power acting primarily on its own behalf.
Rather than expecting a new ideological standoff between Washington and Beijing, respondents largely anticipate a multipolar world in which countries can maintain relations with both. Majorities in Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, and Russia say this is realistically possible, and in several of those countries, respondents forced to choose increasingly favor China over the United States.
Originally published on Latin Times
