This map shows which countries prefer China over the United States
US President Barack Obama (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) after a joint press conference at the Great Hall of People on November 12, 2014 in Beijing, China. Obama paid a state visit to China after attending the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
The power struggle between China and the United States was thrust into daylight last month when a Chinese jet intercepted a US naval patrol plane over the South China Sea. After the fact, the US military claimed its plane had been flying routine patrols in international airspace. The Chinese military said the airspace was theirs and that the US needs to stop conducting close surveillance of its territory.
China's economy is poised to surpass that of the US sometime early in the next decade, and the jet intercept is just the latest signal of a geopolitical shift that's forced the US to share the world stage with the East Asian superpower.
It makes sense, then, that other nations would choose sides. So who's the favorite?
We know how Americans feel about China. Only 35 percent have a favorable view. But what about the rest of the world? Using data from the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, we took a look at global opinions. The graphic below shows you the nations that clearly prefer either the US or China. At the bottom and shaded black are the countries that have comparable opinions of the two countries.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.