Survey across North America and Europe indicates shifting public sentiment as respondents question U.S. reliability while remaining cautious about China.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A new international survey suggests that public opinion in several Western countries may be shifting as confidence in the United States declines, with more respondents expressing openness to closer ties with China.
According to a recent survey conducted by Politico and Public First, respondents in Canada and several European countries reported increasing willingness to strengthen relations with China as trust in the United States has weakened during President Donald Trump’s administration.
The poll, conducted from Feb. 6–9 among 10,289 adults in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, examined views on geopolitical partnerships and technological leadership. Researchers said the sample included at least 2,000 respondents in each country and was weighted by age, gender and geography, with a margin of error of approximately plus or minus two percentage points for each nation.
Findings from the report indicate that many respondents in Canada and Germany believe pursuing closer ties with China reflects declining confidence in the United States rather than increased trust in Beijing.
Similar sentiments were reported among respondents in France and the United Kingdom, where survey participants also cited frustration with Washington as a factor influencing their views.
The survey further found that many respondents believe China has gained an advantage in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Participants also indicated that reducing economic dependence on China may be more difficult than decreasing reliance on the United States.
However, other international surveys suggest that public opinion toward China remains mixed and does not necessarily represent a broad shift in global alignment.
A global study released by the Pew Research Center in July 2025 found that across 24 surveyed countries, a median of 49 percent of respondents held favorable views of the United States, compared with 37 percent who expressed favorable opinions of China. The findings were detailed in a Pew Research Center analysis.
In Canada specifically, Pew found that favorable views of both the United States and China stood at 34 percent, indicating that declining sentiment toward Washington did not automatically translate into increased support for Beijing.
The Pew study drew on nationally representative surveys of 28,333 adults conducted between Jan. 8 and April 26, 2025. Methodological details for the study were outlined in a Pew methodology report.
Additional research from Gallup has identified similar patterns among NATO countries. A January 2026 analysis found that median approval of U.S. leadership across 31 alliance members fell to 21 percent in 2025, while approval of China rose slightly to 22 percent. Gallup described the findings in a report on global leadership approval.
Gallup researchers said their results were based on probability-based telephone surveys of approximately 1,000 adults aged 15 and older in each country surveyed between March 27 and Oct. 30, 2025. The reported margins of sampling error ranged from plus or minus 3.4 to 5.4 percentage points.
Taken together, the polling suggests that attitudes toward the United States may be deteriorating in parts of the Western alliance faster than positive views of China are increasing.
While some respondents indicate openness to stronger relations with Beijing, analysts say the overall trend reflects declining confidence in Washington rather than a decisive shift toward China among U.S. allies.
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