How many precent of west country people like china

Checked on January 4, 2026
Disclaimer: Factually can make mistakes. Please verify important information or breaking news. Learn more.

This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.

Executive summary

Across recent, reputable surveys of multiple Western and other countries, roughly a third to two-fifths of people express a favorable view of China: a 25-country Pew median found 36% favorable and 54% unfavorable in mid‑2025 [1][2], while aggregate analyses show Europe generally clustered around low‑forties or below for favorable views [1][3].

1. What the headline numbers show: a rough percent range

The best cross‑national snapshot in the reporting is Pew Research’s 2025 25‑country survey, which reports a median of 36% of adults with a favorable view of China and 54% unfavorable across the sampled countries [2]; Pew’s separate writeup summarizes that the 25‑country median of favorable views was 36% and unfavorable 54% [1]. Asia Society’s aggregated Global Public Opinion on China work finds China’s net approval plunged during the pandemic and only recovered partially to about an even split (net ±0), implying many Western publics remain divided or leery [3].

2. Variation inside “the West”: not a single number

“Western” countries are not monolithic: Pew reports large differences — for example, only about 13% favorable in Japan and roughly a quarter or fewer in Australia, India and South Korea in the surveyed samples, while Greece was the only surveyed country where a majority was favorable [1]. The Asia Society brief also emphasizes that Europe’s balance is negative in most countries, with only about four‑in‑ten adults or fewer in many European countries having a positive view of China [1][3]. In short, while a mid‑30s percent favorable is a useful headline, some Western countries are substantially more negative and a few are modestly more positive [1][3].

3. Why favorability is depressed in much of the West

Scholars and analysts point to a string of high‑profile political, economic and security frictions that moved elite debates into public view — securitization of Chinese investment, media coverage of disputes, pandemic fallout and concerns about coercion and influence — all of which pushed public sentiment in many Western countries in a more negative direction from earlier in the 2010s [4][5]. Commentators argue that policy communities and think tanks amplified threat narratives that then reached general publics in Europe and other Western states [4], while reporting also documents worries about influence operations and information campaigns that could affect perceptions [6].

4. What drives the remaining positives and where China still fares well

Not all regions or demographics in Western‑allied polities are negative: younger people tend to have more favorable views than older cohorts in many countries [1], and broader global polling shows strong favorable pockets outside the West — notably in parts of sub‑Saharan Africa and select middle‑income countries — which complicates a simple West‑bad, Global‑South‑good binary [5][7][3]. Analysts also note that China’s continued economic weight, infrastructure projects and public diplomacy help sustain positive impressions in some audiences even amid broader skepticism [8][9].

5. Caveats: sampling, definition and changing context

Public‑opinion aggregates vary by which countries are included, how “favorable” is asked, and when the survey was conducted; Pew’s 25‑country median is one defensible benchmark (36% favorable) but not definitive for every Western country [2][1]. Asia Society’s long‑run GPOC database shows trends and regional texture — net approval moved back toward parity after steep pandemic‑era declines but differs substantially by country and weighting method (population vs. economic size) [3]. Reporting also documents active efforts by actors to shape foreign views, which can complicate interpretation of short‑term shifts [6].

6. Bottom line

A straightforward, evidence‑based answer: about one‑third of respondents in the multi‑country Western‑centered surveys reported a favorable view of China (Pew’s 2025 median = 36%), with variation above and below that figure across individual Western countries and demographic groups; overall, most Western publics remain more unfavorable than favorable [2][1][3].

Want to dive deeper?
How do views of China differ by age and political ideology within Western countries?
Which Western countries showed the largest changes in favorability toward China since 2019, and why?
What role do media coverage and influence operations play in shaping Western public opinion about China?