Canadians and Mexicans now view China more positively than the US

On Jul 27, 2026

The Canadian, Mexican and U.S. flags are displayed in Ottawa in 2017. (Lars Hagberg/AFP via Getty Images)

For the first time in almost two decades of Pew Research Center surveys, both Canadians and Mexicans now view China more favorably than their neighbor, the United States.

Year	Country	U.S.	China
2026	Canada	33	44
2025	Canada	34	34
2024	Canada	54	21
2023	Canada	57	14
2022	Canada	63	21
2021	Canada	61	23
2020	Canada	35	22
2019	Canada	51	28
2018	Canada	40	44
2017	Canada	43	47
2016	Canada	64	45
2015	Canada	68	39
2014	Canada
2013	Canada	64	43
2012	Canada
2011	Canada
2010	Canada
2009	Canada	68	54
2008	Canada
2007	Canada	55	51
2005	Canada	59	59
2003	Canada	63
2002	Canada	71
2026	Mexico	40	59
2025	Mexico	29	56
2024	Mexico	61	56
2023	Mexico	63	57
2022	Mexico
2021	Mexico
2020	Mexico
2019	Mexico	35	50
2018	Mexico	33	46
2017	Mexico	29	43
2016	Mexico
2015	Mexico	66	48
2014	Mexico	63	44
2013	Mexico	66	46
2012	Mexico	56	40
2011	Mexico	52	39
2010	Mexico	55	39
2009	Mexico	68	39
2008	Mexico	47	38
2007	Mexico	56	43
2005	Mexico
2003	Mexico
2002	Mexico	64

Our spring 2026 global survey marks the first time that Canadians have expressed a significantly more positive view of China than the U.S. Mexicans, by contrast, have viewed China more favorably than the U.S. in several previous Center surveys – all of them conducted during President Donald Trump’s time in the White House.

Canadians and Mexicans also now view Chinese President Xi Jinping more positively than Trump, even as relatively few people in both countries have confidence in the two leaders.

In Canada, 35% of adults have confidence in Xi to do the right thing regarding world affairs, compared with 20% who say the same of Trump. In Mexico, 35% of adults have confidence in Xi and 11% in Trump.

In our 2025 survey, Canadians and Mexicans both named the U.S. as their country’s top ally and top threat.

About this research

This Pew Research Center analysis looks at how adults in Canada and Mexico view China and the United States.

Why did we do this?

Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. This analysis brings together several topics we regularly study: global views of the U.S. and China, as well as views of the U.S. in Canada and Mexico.

Learn more about Pew Research Center and our international surveys.

How did we do this?

We surveyed 1,020 adults in Canada and 1,017 adults in Mexico from Feb. 12 to April 14, 2026. We designed the surveys so we could talk about the views of the adult population in each country. Here are the survey questions used for this analysis, along with responses, and the survey methodology.

Views by age and ideology

Country	Topic	18-34	35-49	50+	Youngest-oldest diff
Canada	China	61	41	39	22
Canada	U.S.	32	44	27	5
Mexico	China	70	61	44	26
Mexico	U.S.	52	39	28	24

In both Canada and Mexico, adults under 35 have a much more positive view of China than those ages 50 and older, consistent with a pattern we’ve seen in many other countries. For example, 70% of Mexicans under 35 view China favorably, compared with 44% of older Mexicans.

Younger adults in Mexico also view the U.S. more positively than older adults do. But in Canada, there is no significant difference in views between those under 35 and those ages 50 and older.

Despite these differences, both younger and older adults in Canada and Mexico have a more favorable view of China than of the U.S.

Views of the two countries also differ by political ideology. Canadians who place themselves on the ideological left are much more likely than those on the right to have a favorable view of China and an unfavorable view of the United States. Canadians on the left and in the center are more favorable toward China now than in 2025, while views on the right have not changed much.

In Mexico, views of the U.S. and China don’t differ much by ideology.

What’s behind these changing views of China and the U.S.?

Year	Country	U.S.	China
2026	Canada	34	13
2021	Canada	60	7
2018	Canada	38	13
2017	Canada	45	12
2016	Canada	57	10
2015	Canada	54	5
2014	Canada
2013	Canada	75	13
2008	Canada
2026	Mexico	20	35
2021	Mexico
2018	Mexico	31	30
2017	Mexico	32	31
2016	Mexico
2015	Mexico	56	32
2014	Mexico	38	25
2013	Mexico	55	34
2008	Mexico	50	33

In both Canada and Mexico, confidence in Trump is lower than confidence in his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Canadians and Mexicans also now rate the U.S. more negatively on both its domestic and foreign policies. Few in both countries now say that the U.S. and China respect their people’s personal freedoms.

In Mexico, the share of adults who say the U.S. government respects its people’s freedoms has reached an all-time low in our surveys. And for the first time in the nearly two decades we’ve asked this question, Mexicans are now more likely to say this about the Chinese government than the U.S. government.

Year	U.S.	China
2023	50	41
2026	28	47

Mexicans’ views of the United States’ approach to foreign policy have also worsened significantly over the last several years. While half of Mexican adults said in 2023 that the U.S. contributed to peace and stability around the world, 28% say the same today. Mexicans are now much more likely to say that China contributes to global stability than to say this about the U.S.

Mexicans are also more likely to say that the U.S. interferes in the affairs of other countries than to say this about China (73% vs. 45%). And while Mexicans are divided on whether China takes the interests of countries like Mexico into account when making international policy decisions, around three-in-four say that the U.S. does not take these interests into account.

Mexicans are also much more likely to call China a reliable partner to Mexico than to say this about the U.S. (58% vs. 34%). This is the largest gap on this question across the six Latin American countries we surveyed this year.

Note: Here are the survey questions used for this analysis, along with responses, and the survey methodology.

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