Exclusive: China's global favorability rising, views of the U.S. turn negative

U.S. trade policy is making China great again — at the United States' expense, per an analysis from Morning Consult that looks at global favorability ratings, and finds China's rising while America's falls.

Why it matters: The drop in America's reputation is already costing the country economically — through a fall in foreign visitors turned off by White House policies, and even the decline of the dollar.

The big picture: There's potential for more damage:

• "As views of the United States worsen, trade and investment opportunities for American firms doing business overseas may also diminish as consumers shun the products and job opportunities they provide," writes Jason McMann, head of political intelligence at Morning Consult.
• There's also concern about a specific provision buried in the Republican tax bill that could reduce demand for U.S. assets, plus worries over losses from banning foreign students studying in the country.

The latest: America's favorability started edging up a smidge after the president agreed to slash tariffs on China earlier in May (see the chart above).

• But on Friday, Trump said China "totally violated the deal," all but blowing up the fragile detente.

By the numbers: As of the end of May, China had an 8.8 net favorability rating, compared to -1.5 for the U.S., according to favorability data for last month provided exclusively to Axios by Morning Consult.

• In January 2024, the U.S. rating was above 20 and China was in negative territory.

How it works: The data tracks net favorability ratings, or the share of respondents with a positive view of a country minus those with a negative view.

• Morning Consult surveyed adults in 41 countries including Canada, France, Japan, Russia and the U.K.

Zoom out: The U.S. had a largely positive reputation last year — but it dropped sharply after President Trump took office.

• "Since January 2025, the overwhelming majority of countries simultaneously exhibit worsening views of the United States and improving views of China," McMann writes.
• "Only in Russia have views of America meaningfully improved."

Meanwhile, China's rating has been negative going back to October 2020, when Morning Consult first began tracking; it started trending into positive terrain after election day last year.

• But most of the country's improvements have come since March — including a sharp tick up after Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcements.
• "The reputational damage done by the "Liberation Day" tariff announcements has now sealed the deal," per the report.

What to watch: The president's Truth Social feed.