A new survey by the Pew Research Center found that Biden’s positive views of the United States have rebounded in 17 advanced economies, while negative views of China and Xi Jinping still exist.

The change in leadership seems to have brought a public relations dividend to the United States.

Since President Joe Biden took office, developed economies’ positive views of the United States are improving, while negative views of China and its President Xi Jinping, who has been working since 2013, continue to hover near historical highs.

This is what I found Pew Research Center’s latest survey 17 advanced economies in Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region.

Since the visit to the main White House, goodwill for the United States has rebounded from historical lows. For example, in Germany, only a quarter of people had a positive attitude towards the United States last summer. Today, about 56% of people do this.

Among the 17 places surveyed, except for one place, about half or more people think that the United States today is very good. New Zealand is an exception, with only 42% of people optimistic about the United States.

In China, the situation is just the opposite.

Only in the two places surveyed-Greece and Singapore-half or more people have a positive view of China. In other countries surveyed, most people hold broadly negative views of China, including 88% in Japan, 80% in the Netherlands and Sweden, and 78% in Australia.

Since last year, there has been basically no change in negative perceptions of China. Pew said that despite this, in some countries, they continue to climb due to bilateral tensions and China’s perception of poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One area where China outperforms the U.S. in public perception is its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic [File: Andy Wong/AP]

Biden vs Xi Jinping

One of the most significant year-on-year data changes in the survey is people’s confidence in the leaders of each country.

Last year, among the advanced economies surveyed, confidence in Xi Jinping and then US President Donald Trump in “doing the right thing about world affairs” was in the basement. In most parts of Western Europe, more people have confidence in Xi Jinping than Trump.

One year later, confidence in Xi Jinping is still at or close to historical lows. Except for a public surveyed, everyone said they have little confidence in him.

At the same time, Biden’s views on the President of the United States have rebounded.

Most people in every public surveyed stated that they believe Biden will do the right thing in global affairs. Since last year, Sweden alone has increased its confidence in the President of the United States by 70%.

Dealing with epidemics and economic relations

One area where China is superior to the United States in public perception is its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of all the public surveyed, 49% said that China “does a good job in responding to the coronavirus outbreak,” compared with 37% in the United States.

The only place that thinks Washington is doing better than Beijing is Japan.

But in terms of the importance of strong economic relations, China continues to lag far behind the United States.

In most places surveyed, about half or more people said that compared with China, establishing strong economic ties with the United States is more important for their country. Only Singapore and New Zealand bucked the trend.