Public opinion of China has plummeted among the world’s most advanced economies under the reign of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping.
“A large majority of Americans see China unfavorably amid concerns about China’s policies on human rights, its partnership with Russia, and other factors,” the survey reads.
Negative perceptions of China in the United States have more than doubled since Xi took office in 2012, the survey found, with 82 percent of U.S. respondents expressing an “unfavorable opinion” of China this year—up from 40 percent in 2012.
Likewise, 80 percent or more of respondents in Australia, Japan, and South Korea also hold unfavorable views of China.
The survey found that much of the increase in negative perceptions of China was explicitly fueled by Xi’s policies, including authoritarian clampdowns on Hong Kong and Xinjiang, support for Russia amid the latter’s aggression in Ukraine, and harsh COVID-19 policies.
More than 80 percent of respondents in Australia, France, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, and the United States said they have little or “no confidence” in Xi to do the “right thing regarding world affairs.”
“China is an autocratic dictatorship led by a tyrant, Xi Jinping,” the survey cited one man as saying. “The Chinese Communist Party is an amoral kleptocracy interested merely in its own survival and not at all concerned with the welfare of its citizens.”
The survey noted that most comments suggested that the negative perception of China was explicitly about the CCP and not about the Chinese people themselves.
“The people [of China] are basically good, but leader Xi is too controlling and should not be in power this long,” the survey quoted a woman as saying.
Xi is expected to win an unprecedented third five-year term as CCP leader during the 20th Party’s National Congress in October. A win would secure his status as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
However, given Xi’s global unpopularity, another term in office could mean five more years of increased international antagonism and trade woes.
One consequence of China’s reputational deterioration under Xi included a pivot by countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, and South Korea toward more economic ties with the United States relative to China, Silver said.
The survey found that only three nations preferred economic ties with China over the United States. Those nations were Lebanon, Nigeria, and Singapore.
China’s foreign ministry rejected Pew’s findings when asked about them at a Sept. 29 press conference.
