Why Is Perception of China and President Xi Improving?

Recently, the Pew Research Center released results from a study on global perceptions of China and President Xi. The results also compared China and President Xi with the USA and President Donald Trump. The study was conducted in 36 countries and included 42,151 respondents. The results are quite interesting and show that the overwhelming majority of people strongly favor China and President Xi. For example, respondents from 30 of the 36 countries ranked China and President Xi more positively. Moreover, 67% of respondents from 17 middle-income countries viewed China as a reliable partner. This suggests that China fulfills its commitments and never betrays its partners. And 57% believed that China takes care of the interests of other countries. These findings are in line with China’s philosophy of international relations, win-win cooperation and shared prosperity.

The results also indicated that, among the surveyed countries, all Muslim countries have a positive perception of China. Except for Nigeria (equal confidence in Xi and Trump), all Muslim countries showed confidence in President Xi and his leadership.

It is worth noting that in both categories, Pakistanis ranked China and President Xi highest. According to the results, 90% of Pakistanis held a favorable view of China, and 83% expressed confidence in President Xi’s leadership.

Now, the question is, despite all propaganda and malicious campaigns, why is the positive perception of China and President Xi very high?  The answer is that China believes in common development and development together and for everyone. It also resonates with President Xi’s vision that no one should be left behind on the road of development. Therefore, since its rise as a major economic and global power, China is contributing to global development, especially in the Global South. Simultaneously, China has been working to strengthen the voices of the Global South in global affairs and protect them against the hegemonic aspirations of some powerful countries. Moreover, China is striving to bring sustainable peace and security, and to ensure that everyone’s security and security concerns are treated equally. In the pursuit of these objectives, President Xi has launched numerous initiatives, including global, regional, and country-specific ones.

On the global front, President Xi launched five major initiatives: the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. These initiatives have all the ingredients to help the world solve contemporary challenges and chart a path to peaceful, sustainable development and prosperity through cooperative coexistence.

First, China launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by adhering to the Chinese philosophy of shared growth through discussion and collaboration. Latest data show that China has invested almost US$ 1.4 trillion to help countries bridge the development gap. Second, the Global Development Initiative (GDI) was introduced in accordance with the vision of shared prosperity. Under GDI, China has invested more than US$ 23 billion. Third, the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which has been built on four pillars: common, comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable security, was presented. Fourth, the Global Civilization Initiative emphasized harmony in diversity and the rejection of the clash of civilizations. Fifth, the Global Governance Initiative recognizes that all countries, regardless of size, strength, or wealth, are equal participants, decision-makers, and beneficiaries in global governance. The five key principles of GCI, proposed by President Xi, include respecting sovereign equality, adhering to the international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating a people-centered approach, and prioritizing concrete actions.

The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is another initiative with global relevance and a vision of sharing prosperity. It is a unique idea, as there is no precedent in history for organizing an import expo. President Xi himself proposed, planned, deployed, and promoted the idea of the China International Import Expo to fulfill his promise of high-level opening up and creating opportunities for the world. CIIE has emerged as a new avenue to introduce new products, share ideas, and promote innovation. It plays a prominent role in promoting new products by helping companies find buyers for their products and vice versa. China’s technology and innovation penetration and diffusion policies encourage companies and investors to join the event. Therefore, it attracts innovators and leading companies from around the world to attend the event and showcase their products and ideas.

In the list of global initiatives, we can also include the construction of ecological civilization as a seventh initiative, as it is highly relevant to the global audience. The construction of ecological civilization is rooted in the philosophy of harmony between the planet and humans and among humans. It is urgently needed in the context of climate change and environmental degradation.

At the regional level, China has also launched numerous initiatives, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Boao Forum, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), among others. AIIB was launched to bridge the investment gap in Asia. AIIB aims to build a prosperous future under the slogan “Building Infrastructure for Tomorrow” by adopting principles of sustainability, innovation, and prosperity for the benefit of its people in Asia. Since its launch, President Xi has ensured that the AIIB develops into a modern, innovative, inclusive, goal-oriented, and rule-based institution that can help bridge the investment gap. Thus, he discourages geopolitics, mainstream economic rationales, and sustainability principles.

The Boao Forum (BF) is another regional initiative for Asia. BF is a non-governmental, nonprofit organization hosted and promoted by China. It provides a platform for dialogue among leaders of national governments, industry and business, and academia from countries in Asia and other continents on important issues facing Asia and the world. An analysis of past forums shows that it has focused on multiple areas and helped bring people closer together. It has created opportunities for cooperation and collaboration. Building on the Boao Forum’s past successes and strengths, China is working to explore how to build a community with a shared future for humanity in Asia by deepening interaction and cooperation.

Second, despite propaganda against Muslims in Xinjiang, why do Muslim countries respond positively? The simple reason is that Muslim countries believe Western allegations are unfounded. China is not committing any form of genocide or suppressing Muslim in China. This is supported by facts. For example, China is investing heavily in the development, prosperity, and welfare of people. In 2024, 40 SOEs invested US$39.1 billion in Xinjiang across various sectors, including petroleum, natural gas, coal, new energy, and transportation. In 2025, Xinjiang attracted almost 1.07 trillion yuan in investment, injecting strong momentum into its high-quality economic development. Simultaneously, per capita income increased to 574 yuan in 2025. China has termed Xinjiang the golden passage and considers it a vital element of BRI.

Moreover, Muslim countries also believe that China is supporting the legitimate interests of all Muslim countries. China is a strong voice for the Muslims of Palestine and Kashmir and supports their freedom. Therefore, no Muslim country is willing to buy into Western propaganda.

Third, why has propaganda against CPEC and China not yielded any results? Why has the overwhelming majority of Pakistanis supported China, held a positive view of it, and shown confidence in President Xi’s leadership? The reason is simple: CPEC and Chinese investment have helped Pakistan on multiple fronts. They have helped create more than 295000 direct jobs in Pakistan. This means 295000 families have directly benefited from CPEC-related livelihood opportunities, which have contributed to poverty reduction. Moreover, 100 SMEs have also benefited and created hundreds of thousands of jobs.

China not only created jobs but also saw Chinese companies invest in the capacity building of thousands of Pakistanis. For example, Huaneng Shandong Rui Group, which built the Sahiwal coal power plant, invested in the skill development of 245 engineers and 377 staff members. Port Qasim also contributed to building the capacity of 600 engineers and 2000 general staff members. These are only two examples.

On the other hand, investment in the energy sector helped manage load-shedding, and Pakistan was able to eliminate load-shedding-related economic losses (US$ 4-5 billion per year). Moreover, it was estimated that without CPEC energy projects, losses would be around US$ 15-20 billion due to electricity load-shedding. Gwadar Port is turning Pakistan into a global connectivity hub. These are only a few examples.

During the second phase of CPEC, China is assisting Pakistan in industrialization, agricultural development, green energy, green industry, and the transition to the Fourth Industrial Revolution through cooperation in technology and science.

Lastly, China has always stood by Pakistan, no matter the situation. This is not a new phenomenon; it has been happening for many years, even decades. The most recent example is the Pakistan-India war. Therefore, Pakistanis do not pay any heed to propaganda, such as the debt trap, the East India Company, or anything else. Rather, the propaganda has strengthened the belief among Pakistani people that China is doing something good; that’s why the West is propagating.

In conclusion, from the above discussion, we can draw two inferences. First, China and President Xi have earned respect through dedicated work. Moreover, China and President Xi’s commitment to global development and sustainable peace make China a well-respected and loved country and President Xi a well-respected and loved person.