New Delhi, July 16 -- China is now viewed more favourably than the United States across most of the world for the first time in roughly two decades, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

The survey, conducted between February 8 and May 13, 2026, among 42,151 adults across 35 countries and the West Bank and East Jerusalem, found that China enjoys higher favourability than the US in 25 of the 36 countries and territories surveyed. The US is viewed more positively in only six countries -- India, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Poland and Israel.

"China being assessed more positively than the US is a relatively recent shift in most countries surveyed," the report said, attributing the reversal to improving perceptions of China...