ALBAWABA - Canadian opinions of the U.S. have fallen as a recent Pew Research Center poll suggests.
According to the report, 44 percent of Canadians hold a favorable view of China, while 33 percent feel the same about the U.S. This contrasts with last year where Canadians were “equally” favorable toward both countries.
Even more, most Canadians had a “positive view” of the U.S. at 57 percent in 2023 compared to 14 percent that viewed China positively. Showing a clear downward trend in U.S. opinion.
The Trump administration is thought to be the reason for the rift between the U.S. and Canada, alongside recovering opinions toward China after the COVID-19 pandemic when opinions of China were near historic lows.
A researcher involved in the study said that it was the first time in 20 years that countries overall held more favorable opinions of China than the U.S.
Laura Silver, the researcher and associate director of Pew’s Global Attitudes Research, cited the Trump’s calls to annex Greenland and his response to the Israeli-Hamas war as the main contributors to falling opinion of the U.S.
The research report further showed that 36 countries alongside Canada now held a more favorable view toward China than the U.S. with more countries having a higher confidence in Xi Jinping than in Trump.
In the U.K. 41 percent said they held a favorable view of the U.S. down from 59 percent in 2023, with the reverse true about China with 46 percent favorability rising from 27 percent three years ago.
In Spain, 30 percent said they held a positive view of the U.S., down from 55 percent in 2023. With positive opinion of China rising to 54 percent, compared to 28 percent three years ago.
In France, 27 percent held a positive opinion of the U.S. down from 52 percent in 2023. This year, 36 percent said they had a positive view of China, up from 22 percent three years ago.
In Indonesia, 29 percent of respondents viewed the U.S. favorably this year, plunging from 55 percent in 2023. While opinions on China increased to 72 percent in 2026, compared to 49 percent three years ago.
The Pew Research Center surveyed 42,151 individuals from 36 countries from February 8 to May 13. Margins of error ranged from 2.3 to 5.5 percentage points, based on the country. With the report concluding that only six countries viewed the U.S. more positively than China.
