Kathrine Frich
One year after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, global attitudes are shifting in ways that wouldn’t please the president.
A new international survey suggests that Washington’s standing has weakened, while Beijing’s influence is increasingly seen as the defining force of the coming decade.
For Europe, the findings underline a growing sense of unease about the future.
China on the rise
According to a global poll conducted for the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and Oxford University’s Europe in a Changing World project, majorities in most countries expect China’s global influence to grow over the next ten years, The Guardian reported.
Expectations are especially high in South Africa, Brazil and Turkey, but even in the US and across much of Europe, more than half of respondents believe China’s power will increase.
Many Europeans also expect China to lead the world in electric vehicles and renewable energy, and few view this prospect as a threat.
America less feared
The survey found little belief that US influence will grow further, even though many still see America as an important global actor.
In most countries, including the US itself, no majority expects American power to increase. In several places, significant numbers believe it will decline.
Perceptions of Trump have also deteriorated. Fewer respondents than a year ago believe his presidency benefits Americans, their own countries or global peace, despite some agreeing he has defended US interests.
Allies drift away
Views of the US as an ally have fallen sharply, particularly in Europe.
Only 16% of EU citizens now consider the US an ally, while 20% see it as a rival or enemy, according to the survey cited by The Guardian.
India is the only country surveyed where a majority still views the US as an ally sharing its values and interests.
Support for increased defence spending has grown across Europe, reflecting anxiety about security and the reliability of traditional alliances.
War reshapes loyalties
The war in Ukraine continues to influence perceptions. In Russia, more people now see the EU as an adversary than the US, while hostility toward America has declined.
Ukrainians, by contrast, increasingly look to Europe rather than Washington for support.
Nearly twice as many Ukrainians now consider the EU an ally compared with the US.
In China, most respondents see the US as a threat, but far fewer say the same about the EU, which many Chinese view as an independent power.
Europe’s dilemma
The report’s authors, Ivan Krastev, Mark Leonard and Timothy Garton Ash, said the findings reveal “a world in which US actions have emboldened China”.
They warned that Europe risks being sidelined unless it adapts to a multipolar order, urging leaders to be “realistic and bold at the same time”.
Sources: The Guardian, European Council on Foreign Relations, University of Oxford
