As 2020 neared its end, the results of a survey conducted by Pew Research Center revealed that negative perceptions of China have risen markedly in several major Western countries over the past year. After the emergence of COVID-19 in Wuhan and the later ravaging of Europe and the US by the virus, the findings are not all that surprising. Yet unfavorable public opinion toward China in the West also reflects broader concerns over trade disputes, a crackdown on Hong Kong activists and human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Negative views increased most in Australia, where 81% viewed China unfavorably – a 24% increase on last year. The US was not far behind: 73% had an unfavorable perception of China, up 13% on 2019 and 20% since Donald Trump was elected. In major European states including the UK and Germany, and in regional rivals Japan and South Korea, negative perceptions also rose. And across all 14 nations surveyed, 61% said China had done a “bad job” in handling COVID-19 and 78% expressed little or no confidence in Xi Jinping.

China has pushed back on criticism of its response to the initial outbreak, and having brought the virus under control domestically, is attempting to shift the narrative on COVID-19 to cast itself in a positive light. The supply of face masks and medical equipment abroad, and defence of its containment measures by an increasingly vocal band of “wolf warrior” diplomats, are a key part of this battle to influence opinion. Will these efforts be successful? And what else must Beijing do to rebuild its damaged global reputation?

Outlook

Why the negative perceptions?

The COVID-19 pandemic acted as an amplifier for negative views of China rooted in pre-existing issues. As China’s power has grown, its authoritarian governance at home and assertive foreign policy have attracted renewed attention in the West. Three issues have ignited greatest concern, driving suspicion and mistrust.

First, island-building and the build-up of military forces to advance its territorial claims in the South China Sea have sparked a backlash in the region and led US policymakers to conclude China is seeking regional hegemony by force. Second, a new security law intended to derail pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong has prompted the UK to question China’s commitment to the “one country, two systems” approach, put in place at the time of the handover in the 1990s to guarantee certain freedoms in Hong Kong until 2047. Third, China’s actions in Xinjiang province, where up to 1 million Uighur Muslims are allegedly confined to re-education camps labelled by China as “vocational training centers,” have drawn global condemnation.