A public opinion poll involving the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Canada indicates that respondents consider China more reliable than the United States, mainly due to dissatisfaction with President Trump's 'America First' policy, which has led people in these traditional allied countries to increasingly distrust the US.
The American political news website 'Politico', in cooperation with British polling agency Public First, surveyed over 10,000 adult respondents in the UK, France, Germany, and Canada from February 6 to February 9, with the results released on March 15.
When asked whether their country should move closer to China or to the US under Trump's leadership, the percentages favoring China were 42% for the UK, 34% for France, 40% for Germany, and 57% for Canada, all exceeding the proportion who thought they should rely on the US.
In Canada, 48% of respondents and in the UK, 42% of respondents said their governments should reduce their dependence on the US, both higher than the rates calling for less reliance on China.
Politico's analysis points out that the results show China’s supply chains are deepening economic connections between Europe and China, and that this may greatly shift the global balance of power in the future.
Among respondents in these four traditional US allied countries, about half believe that China is rapidly becoming a more influential superpower. In particular, young adults aged 18 to 24 have a more favorable view of China compared to other age groups.
● Confidence that China Leads the US in AI and Robotics
In addition, 53% of respondents in the UK, 50% in France, 55% in Germany, and 54% in Canada believe that China is ahead of the US in emerging technologies such as battery technology, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Politico, the poll shows that the shift in public opinion is mainly caused by Trump’s policies. Most respondents in Canada and Germany explicitly stated that moving closer to China was because the US had become unreliable, while in France and the UK, 38% and 42% of respondents expressed the same view, respectively.