EU headquarters in Brussels Photo: VCG

Against the backdrop of tense transatlantic relations and US pressure on Europe regarding the annexation of Greenland, the European think tank European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) released a global survey on Thursday, saying that China's global influence is continuously expanding, while also claiming that the US' "Make America Great Again" approach is instead helping to make China great again.

The report of the survey is based on a public opinion poll of adult populations conducted in November 2025 in 15 European countries and six non-European countries with 25,949 respondents participating.

It found that "around the world, many people expect China's—already considerable—global influence to grow over the next decade, and more now view Beijing as an ally or necessary partner." 

According to the report, "the world appears to be becoming more open to China; or at least not fear it—an evolution that is in keeping with dominant Chinese interpretations of global geopolitics." One way the Chinese are dealing with this—and with the America's hegemony—is to work with other countries to "democratise international relations" by giving non-Western countries more of a voice. 

Amid the accelerating evolution of the international structure, China's way makes countries feel assured, secure, and comfortable—truly different from certain other major powers, Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"The US is currently causing disruption worldwide and the EU is disoriented, searching for its direction. Only China remains composed and strategically focused, steadily advancing according to its own plans, making the convergence and mutual benefit between the world and China increasingly certain," Li said.

China's advocated approach of "non-conflict, non-confrontation, and mutual respect" is gradually dispelling the long-promoted "China threat theory" in certain Western narratives, the expert commented.

China has long presented itself to the world as a responsible global power whose words match its deeds, Lü Xiang, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday. China has delivered tangible gains to its partners—whether they are trade partners or countries engaged in deeper economic cooperation, he said.

The Guardian noticed that the survey said "amid increasingly favorable views of China, the status of the US as an ally has declined across almost all the countries surveyed, with India the only one where a majority still feels the US is an ally, sharing the country's values and interests."

In addition, the report also noted that "the West" seems to be a spent geopolitical force for the foreseeable future. America's traditional enemies fear it less than they once did—while allies now worry about falling victim to a predatory US. 

The report of the survey said that the US president "did not go into politics to make China great again. But that is what the latest poll of global public opinion from the European Council on Foreign Relations suggests he has done in the eyes of the world."

When it comes to question that "Is China's rise inevitably leading to America's decline?" "No" is the answer many people give. Only a minority think America will become stronger, but many believe it will still be globally influential, according to the report. 

Cui Hongjian, professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday that the world, including Europe, is currently focused on US President Donald Trump, with all sides contemplating how to address hegemony and imperialism. He added that the report reflects Europe's current anxieties, stemming from the fundamental difficulty of coordination between Europe and the US, and even the growing contradictions between them. 

Cui said that for Europe, Washington's approach not only deviates from traditional US foreign policy but also undermines the common interests of the West.

As seen in the US National Security Strategy report recently, Trump holds a highly negative view of Europe. The European think tank report, which claimed that "Trump is making China great" and heavily plays the "China card," precisely illustrates that the EU is still attempting to remind the US to reconsider its policy toward Europe and lure Washington to return to geopolitical confrontation between major powers, said Li Haidong. "This is a lamentable approach," the expert noted.

China wishes to maintain stable relations with both the EU and the US, Li said, urging the EU to adopt a proper attitude and maintain fundamental respect in its perception of China, rather than attempting to use China as a backstop or a tool whenever it encounters setbacks or pressure. 

China hopes the EU can cultivate self-respect, strengthen its strategic autonomy, and approach China-EU relations with a renewed perspective, according to the expert.