Post-COVID, more in West see China as major power

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The coronavirus pandemic has led a growing number of Westerners to see China as a top power, with the lead of the United States slipping, a study said Tuesday.

A survey of French, German and US opinion released by the German Marshall Fund of the United States found significant increases in perceptions of Chinese influence since the outbreak of COVID-19 — in which Beijing has alternately been portrayed as a culprit and an aid provider.

The proportion of people who said China was the most influential global player shot up from 13 to 28 percent in France between surveys in January to May, from 12 to 20 percent in Germany and from six to 14 percent in the United States.

“Chinese influence in the world was kind of an abstract idea before the crisis,” said Martin Quencez, deputy director of the German Marshall Fund’s Paris office.

“When you think about the dependency on China for mask and medical equipment, for instance, this has become very concrete,” he said.

Quencez expected a lasting impact, saying that the changes in perceptions were seen across generational and political lines.

“It seems more structural than just a quick response to the crisis,” he said.

The public in all three countries still said that the United States was the most influential nation but less overwhelmingly.

In France, 55 percent of people said the United States was the top global player in May, down from 67 percent in January. Similar figures were reported in Germany.