A new poll of nine big countries finds a strong preference for the U.S., rather than China, to be the leading superpower.
Why it matters: The Eurasia Group Foundation (EGF) poll is the latest signal that many around the world are viewing China's rise with trepidation.
Breaking it down: Huge majorities in India, Nigeria, Poland and Brazil — and pluralities in Egypt and Mexico — think U.S. influence in their region has generally been positive over the last 20 years.
- In China, 62% believe it's been negative.
That's a relatively new phenomenon in China. When EGF first conducted this poll in 2019, just 17% of Chinese respondents had negative views of the U.S. overall. Three years later, 45% do.
- Views of China in the U.S. have grown more negative still, according to recent polls from Pew and Gallup.
- Washington isn't preferred over Beijing everywhere around the world. EGF found in 2021 that two-thirds of Russians would rather China be the leading global power.
- Among the nine countries in the new EGF poll, the top reason for picking the U.S. was that it's a "trustworthy economic partner," while the top reason for picking China was that it's "a good example for national development."
EGF also asked about two other U.S. exports: pop culture and "ideas of democracy."...
- While the Jan. 6 hearings in Washington have highlighted the fragile state of American democracy, huge majorities in Nigeria, India, Poland, Brazil and Egypt view U.S. democracy favorably and want their governing system