US falls behind China in global leadership approval: survey

BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The median global approval rate of the United States leadership in world affairs has dropped behind that of China over the past year, according to a new survey.

The survey, conducted by American consulting company Gallup, found that approval of U.S. leadership in more than 130 countries had dropped to 30 percent in 2017, the lowest since the company began annually tracking the measure a decade ago.

China scored a 31 percent approval rate, the same as the previous year.

The survey said the U.S. image was weaker in "every part of the world" and stable ratings in China give it "an advantage over the U.S."

In the Americas, where the U.S. approval dropped to new lows and China won more approval, China may be positioned to take further advantage as it has overtaken the U.S. as the top trading partner in parts of Latin America, the survey said.

China also exceeded the U.S. in approval rates in Asia. The two had a tie in Europe and the U.S. and China both have strong images in Africa.

The shift, according to media reports, comes as the United States is facing an unprecedented trust crisis, while China takes on more important roles in global governance and wins the hearts and minds of people at home and abroad with successful campaigns such as the anti-corruption war.

The Gallup survey was based on face-to-face and telephone interviews with about 1,000 adults in each studied country or area between March and November 2017. They were asked to rate the United States, German, Russian and Chinese leadership in world affairs. Enditem