China's median global approval rating has surpassed the U.S. at 34%, the country's highest score since 2009, Gallup reports in a newly released survey.
Where it stands: The U.S. approval rating for 2018 stands at 31%, only a 1% increase from the "new record low" seen during the first year of Donald Trump's presidency, per Gallup. 2018 also marks the first time that the global approval rating of Russia — currently at 30% — has been on equal ground with the U.S.
Our thought bubble, per Axios' Dave Lawler: It's well-documented that global views of the U.S. — which always shift based on who’s in the White House — have fallen dramatically under Trump. What's interesting is that views of China and in particular Russia, generally considered a malevolent power in the U.S., are ticking upwards.
Go deeper: 2018 pew poll shows which countries trust Xi and Putin more than Trump
