<p>China is fast catching up as a global economic power, while the public perception around the world is that the US still remains at the top, according to a new survey in 38 countries.<br /><br />A median of 42 per centsay the US is the world's leading economy, while 32 per cent name China, Pew Research Center said in its latest survey results released yesterday.<br /><br />Across all of the countries surveyed in Latin America, as well as most in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, people tend to believe that the US is the top economy.<br /><br />"And by a 51 per cent-35 per cent margin, Americans name their own country rather than China," it said.<br />But in seven of the 10 European Union nations in the study, China is considered the leading economic power.<br /><br />It is tied with the US for the top spot in Italy.<br /><br />A plurality in Russia also holds this view, Pew said.<br /><br />Notably, China leads the US by a two-to-one margin in Australia – a longtime US ally, but also a country whose top trading partner, by far, is China, Pew said.<br /><br />Releasing results of the survey, Pew said over the past year, perceptions of relative US economic power have declined in many of America's key trading partners and allies.<br /><br />The trend can be seen in several European countries, where views about the economic balance of power have fluctuated in recent years, it said.<br /><br />Pew said following the onset of the financial crisis nearly a decade ago, Europeans increasingly named China, rather than the US, as the world's leading economic power.<br /><br />"But in recent years, as the American economy slowly recovered, the pendulum began to swing back in the direction of the US," it said.<br /><br />This year, however, the pattern has reversed itself again, and in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain, China is once more seen as occupying the top spot.<br /><br />"But these shifts are not limited to Europe; perceptions have also changed significantly in countries such as Canada, Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines," Pew concluded.<br /><br />However, both the leaders of China and the United States are perceived negatively globally, Pew said.<br />While Xi is less known globally than Trump, Pew said a median of 53 per cent say they do not have confidence in Chinese President to do the right thing in world affairs.<br /><br />Still, a much greater share (74 per cent) express little or no confidence in Trump.<br /><br />The Russian President Vladimir Putin also receives slightly more negative assessments than Xi (59 per cent have no confidence).<br /><br />German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the only world leader included on the survey who receives positive marks on balance – 42 per cent have confidence in the long-serving leader, and just 31 per cent say they do not.<br /><br />In India along with Indonesia, and Vietnam there is a significant drop in public perception of China, Pew said.<br /><br />In South Korea, China's favourably has fallen 27 points since spring 2015 and now hovers near historic lows, Pew said.<br /><br />According to Pew, in only five countries do more than half express confidence in Xi.<br /><br />Three – Tanzania, Nigeria and Senegal – are in sub- Saharan Africa.<br /><br />The Chinese president also gets high ratings in Russia and the Philippines, it said. </p>
<p>China is fast catching up as a global economic power, while the public perception around the world is that the US still remains at the top, according to a new survey in 38 countries.<br /><br />A median of 42 per centsay the US is the world's leading economy, while 32 per cent name China, Pew Research Center said in its latest survey results released yesterday.<br /><br />Across all of the countries surveyed in Latin America, as well as most in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, people tend to believe that the US is the top economy.<br /><br />"And by a 51 per cent-35 per cent margin, Americans name their own country rather than China," it said.<br />But in seven of the 10 European Union nations in the study, China is considered the leading economic power.<br /><br />It is tied with the US for the top spot in Italy.<br /><br />A plurality in Russia also holds this view, Pew said.<br /><br />Notably, China leads the US by a two-to-one margin in Australia – a longtime US ally, but also a country whose top trading partner, by far, is China, Pew said.<br /><br />Releasing results of the survey, Pew said over the past year, perceptions of relative US economic power have declined in many of America's key trading partners and allies.<br /><br />The trend can be seen in several European countries, where views about the economic balance of power have fluctuated in recent years, it said.<br /><br />Pew said following the onset of the financial crisis nearly a decade ago, Europeans increasingly named China, rather than the US, as the world's leading economic power.<br /><br />"But in recent years, as the American economy slowly recovered, the pendulum began to swing back in the direction of the US," it said.<br /><br />This year, however, the pattern has reversed itself again, and in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain, China is once more seen as occupying the top spot.<br /><br />"But these shifts are not limited to Europe; perceptions have also changed significantly in countries such as Canada, Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines," Pew concluded.<br /><br />However, both the leaders of China and the United States are perceived negatively globally, Pew said.<br />While Xi is less known globally than Trump, Pew said a median of 53 per cent say they do not have confidence in Chinese President to do the right thing in world affairs.<br /><br />Still, a much greater share (74 per cent) express little or no confidence in Trump.<br /><br />The Russian President Vladimir Putin also receives slightly more negative assessments than Xi (59 per cent have no confidence).<br /><br />German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the only world leader included on the survey who receives positive marks on balance – 42 per cent have confidence in the long-serving leader, and just 31 per cent say they do not.<br /><br />In India along with Indonesia, and Vietnam there is a significant drop in public perception of China, Pew said.<br /><br />In South Korea, China's favourably has fallen 27 points since spring 2015 and now hovers near historic lows, Pew said.<br /><br />According to Pew, in only five countries do more than half express confidence in Xi.<br /><br />Three – Tanzania, Nigeria and Senegal – are in sub- Saharan Africa.<br /><br />The Chinese president also gets high ratings in Russia and the Philippines, it said. </p>