Pew finds improved global view of China as Donald Trump hurts perceptions of US
Pew's latest survey of 24 countries found that opinion towards the US and its president, Donald Trump, had deteriorated, while views of China and its president, Xi Jinping, had improved in many countries worldwide.
More than half — 53 per cent — of Australians surveyed said they favoured placing more importance on economic ties with China, a large increase from 39 per cent in 2021.
Only 42 per cent of Australians said it was more important to prioritise economic ties with the US — a drop from 52 per cent who said the same thing in 2021.
Pew found the US was viewed more favourably than China in eight countries, China was viewed more favourably in seven, and the two were viewed about equally in the remainder.
Pew did not provide definitive explanations for the shifts, but Laura Silver, associate director of research, said it is possible that views of a country may change when those of another superpower shift.
"As the US potentially looks like a less reliable partner and people have limited confidence, for example, in Trump to lead the global economy, China may look different in some people's eyes," Dr Silver said.
Also, China's human rights policies and its handling of the pandemic — which were related to negative views of the country in the past — may not weigh as much this time, she said.
A group of Democratic senators this week accused the Trump administration of ceding global influence to China by shuttering foreign aid programs, imposing tariffs on allies, cracking down on elite universities, and restricting visas for international students.
In the Pew findings, 35 per cent of those in 10 high-income countries surveyed consistently — including Canada, France, Germany and Italy — have favourable opinions of the US, down from 51 per cent from last year.
By comparison, 32 per cent of them have positive views of China, up from last year's 23 per cent.
And 24 per cent of them say they have confidence in Mr Trump, compared with 53 per cent last year for then-US president Joe Biden.
Mr Xi scored a slight improvement: 22 per cent of those in these rich countries say they have confidence in the Chinese president, up from last year's 17 per cent.
However, people in Israel have far more favourable views of the US than of China: 83 per cent of Israelis like the US, compared with 33 per cent who say they have positive views of China.
Some 69 per cent of Israelis said they have confidence in Mr Trump, while only 9 per cent expressed confidence in Mr Xi.
Pew surveyed more than 30,000 people across 25 countries — including the US, which was excluded from the comparison — from January 8 to April 26, 2025.
The margins of error for each country ranged from plus or minus 2.5 to plus or minus 4.7.
China's economy slowed slightly in the last quarter as Mr Trump's trade war escalated, but it still expanded at a robust 5.2 per cent pace, the Chinese government said on Tuesday, local time.
That compares with 5.4 per cent annual growth in January-March.
Chinese authorities said that in quarterly terms, the world's second-largest economy expanded by 1.1 per cent.
In the first half of the year, the Chinese economy grew at a 5.3 per cent annual pace, the official data show.
However, some analysts said actual growth may have been significantly slower.
Zichun Huang of Capital Economics noted that investments in fixed assets such as factory equipment rose only 2.8 per cent in the first half of the year, implying 2.9 per cent annual growth in May and a mere 0.5 per cent increase in June.
The 5.2 per cent growth rate overstates the pace of expansion by about 1.5 percentage points, she said.
Capital Economics' activity proxy shows growth in China's gross domestic product, or GDP, at less than 4 per cent year-on-year in April and May, Dr Huang said, forecasting annual growth of 3.5 per cent for full-year 2025.
"The economic outlook for the rest of the year remains challenging," she wrote in a report.
Dr Huang added, though, that "political pressure to meet annual growth targets, even if only on paper, means that published GDP growth will be much higher".
A key factor behind the latest upbeat data was strong exports.
On Monday, China reported that its exports accelerated in June, rising 5.8 per cent from a year earlier, up from a 4.8 per cent increase in May.
Production of high-tech products, vehicles and electrical machinery and equipment rose by about 10 per cent or more from a year earlier.
A reprieve on painfully high tariffs on Chinese exports to the US prompted a rush of orders by companies and consumers as the two sides resumed trade talks.
Chinese companies also have expanded exports to and offshore manufacturing in other countries such as Vietnam, helping to offset the impact of higher tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
But a 0.1 per cent decline in consumer prices in the first half of 2025 showed continuing weakness in domestic demand, a long-term challenge for the ruling communist party as the Chinese population declines and ages.
Those troubles deepened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Falling property prices and slowing retail sales were also of concern, said Lynne Song of ING Economics.
Price cutting by Chinese manufacturers to help compete in overseas markets is adding to deflationary pressures that ultimately erode their competitiveness, Louise Loo of Oxford Economics said in a report.
Chinese leaders have set a growth target of 5 per cent for this year, in line with last year's growth.
A resumption of US tariffs of up to 245 per cent if Washington and Beijing fail to meet an August 12 deadline for a new trade deal could derail the recovery in exports, a major driver of growth and employment.
ABC/AP
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Advance used unblurred footage of minors taken from education organisations without consent in new ad
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"No permission has been granted by the ACT Education Directorate [or the primary school] for the use of this video. No consent has been granted by the parents of the children in the video for it to be used in this way," one said. "We object to footage of our students being used in this way, even more so without their knowledge and without the consent of their parents," it said. The Queensland Education Department said neither it, nor the school featured in the ad, were approached for permission to use the video. "The department is currently supporting the school to report the unauthorised use of footage to YouTube," it said. Reconciliation Australia also provided a statement. "Advance has not sought our permission to use the images contained in their ad," it said. "Written release forms were signed by all parents and guardians giving permission for Reconciliation Australia to use images of the children featured in the original video. "We are very concerned that Advance appears to have used images of minors with no attempt to de-identify many of the children nor to acquire consent from their parents or guardians, and without permission from Reconciliation Australia," it said. At least seven adult educators feature in the video — some have their faces blurred, but a number do not. A staff member from a playgroup organisation is prominently featured at the start of the ad. That organisation's chief executive told ABC NEWS Verify it had lodged an official complaint with YouTube and was seeking advice from the eSafety Commissioner on what to do if the video isn't removed. "I am deeply concerned to learn that footage originating from our official YouTube channel has been used without our consent in a political advertising campaign," they said. "We unequivocally condemn Advance Australia's unauthorised use of [the] material." It is understood the ABC was also unaware of its footage being used in the ad. ABC NEWS Verify contacted Advance and informed them that several organisations had said they would like their footage removed from the ad. In response, Advance said that it had not received any complaints. "We have not been contacted by any individual or organisations with the concerns you refer to in your questions," it said. "In fact, the response to the ad has been overwhelmingly positive." Technology and privacy legal expert James Patto from Scildan Legal said "it's at least arguable" that Advance has breached the Privacy Act in repurposing the footage. But he said it depends on whether the footage is considered "personal information" or "sensitive information" under the act. "If it's personal information — say the children are identifiable but there's no sensitive characteristics — then Advance Australia wouldn't necessarily need consent to collect it," he told ABC NEWS Verify. "But that doesn't mean they're off the hook. 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ABC News
16 minutes ago
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World Court climate decision lights match under Australia's fossil fuel industry
A landmark outcome from the world's highest court this week has put major fossil fuel countries like Australia on notice, declaring they could be liable for reparations. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down its advisory opinion this week, outlining that nations have an obligation to prevent climate change and listing potential legal consequences for continuing to make the crisis worse. It's been celebrated around the world as a historic turning point for the climate movement. It's also expected to unleash a new wave of climate litigation. Australia, one of the world's biggest fossil fuel exporters, is likely to face new legal scrutiny. "Under international law, it's huge for Australia. It's going to open us up to a lot more liability," said climate law specialist at the University of Melbourne's law school, Liz Hicks. "There could be claims for reparations brought against Australia. I think this is something that the government hasn't been taking seriously until now." The ICJ was tasked with determining what obligations countries have to protect the climate system for current and future generations, and what the consequences are of failing to do so. In a unanimous finding, the court determined that nations have an obligation under international law to prevent climate change — and that they may be liable to pay compensation if they fail to do so. But the 500-page opinion goes much further than that; it has been described as a blueprint for climate justice and a reckoning for those countries perpetuating the destabilisation of the planet. "The court has really met the moment in bringing all of those legal obligations and interpreting them in the climate reality, and the urgency of this kind of existential crisis for the entire world," Retta Berryman, climate lead and lawyer for Environmental Justice Australia (EJA), said. The ICJ's decision isn't binding for Australian courts, but its advice is considered highly influential and will inform legal arguments in cases back home. Under the Paris Agreement, the legal framework for climate action over the past decade, countries set their own targets for how they will reduce their domestic greenhouse gas emissions. Domestic. That's the critical word here. By only counting emissions released at home, fossil fuel exporters like Australia could brag about cutting down greenhouse gases whilst continuing to sell coal, oil and gas to international buyers, obligation-free. "What states like Australia — and many, many states — were arguing, was that the Paris Agreement was exhaustive of all our obligations," Melbourne Law School's Dr Hicks explained. "Our exports, the big contribution that we make to climate harms, fell outside of the Paris Agreement." The ICJ judges rejected that outright. 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News.com.au
42 minutes ago
- News.com.au
The Geelong suburbs where home prices soared since Covid
Time is on the side of people who bought homes in Geelong in the first year of the Covid pandemic, new data reveals. New PropTrack research reveals people who bought homes in the 12 months to July 2020 are sitting pretty on potential five-year value gains of between 10 and 100 per cent. Only one Geelong suburb shows a price fall over that time, a 3.3 per cent decline for Geelong West units. The growth figures underline how dramatic the restrictions on the movement of people in Melbourne were on regional property prices during the pandemic, as thousands sought to leave the lockdown capital. Mid-century home designed by AFL great up for sale Dan Andrews' ring of steel locked in the unprecedented boom in home prices as waves of Melbourne people – many buying sight-unseen – accelerated demand for property. It wasn't to last though, with Geelong now coming out of a two-year downturn as the market absorbed the abnormal growth. The data reveals Rippleside as the standout suburb, with a 104 per cent median price gain over five years (worth $850,000) skewed by the waterfront Balmoral Quay development. A renovation boom made its mark at inner-west Manifold Heights, where the median house price has jumped nearly 60 per cent to $1.175m. But next-ring suburbs stood up best during the downturn. Whittington, St Albans Park, Bell Post Hill, Herne Hill and Corio houses banked median price growth between 30 and 40 per cent over five years, with inner-city South Geelong and outer suburban Lovely Banks and Marshall rounding out the city's 10 best-performing suburbs. Geelong buyers advocate Tony Slack said the strength of the growth over five years demonstrated the owning property for value gain was still a long-term proposition. 'You always should be looking at least five to seven years because of that cycle. That's just natural growth – plateau – growth – plateau. You need time in the market,' he said. Mr Slack said the pandemic boom was unique as it was driven predominantly by owner occupiers, with the negative result for Geelong West units put down to an oversupply and fewer investment buyers. Gartland Geelong agent Will Ainsworth said new development and renovations contributed significantly to the growth, especially in smaller suburbs such as Rippleside and Manifold Heights, but rising prices for inner suburbs also pushed demand further from the CBD. 'Eight to 10 years ago it would have been the suburbs closer to the CBD than those (that had the best growth),' he said. 'You've got East Geelong or Newcomb, and now you've got Whittington and St Albans Park. 'It's that next or third suburb from the CBD that became the affordable one, because that second one had taken off and become a bit less affordable,' he said. 'There's equity in two ways – improving the value in a renovation or waiting for the market to increase, or doing both. 'One of them is probably going to work, two of them are going to work better.' Geelong's best growth in five years: houses Suburb Median price 5 year change Rippleside $1,665,000 104.3% Manifold Heights $1,175,000 59.3% Whittington $540,000 40.3% Lovely Banks $805,000 40.0% St Albans Park $600,000 36.2% Bell Post Hill $655,000 35.1% Corio $490,000 34.2% Herne Hill $700,000 30.8% South Geelong $890,000 29.4% Marshall $630,000 28.8% Mr Ainsworth said buyers had become more sensible again, but there were still tricky conversations with vendors who bought at the height of the boom. 'If they bought for $1m, now it might be worth $950,000. The owners might want $1.05m to get their money back. You've got a $100,000 or 10 per cent differential that you can't bring that together – that's too big a price gap.' Hayeswinckle, East Geelong director Tiffany Simpson said returning confidence and interstate investors were improving values in areas like St Albans Park, where bigger properties offer better bang for buck. 'In almost the first six months of 2025 in St Albans Park we are up 10 per cent up on where we were last year – that's due to investors coming back in to the market,' she said. 'A lot of first-time buyers are able to stretch past $600,000, given a couple of interest rate cuts. 'The confidence has definitely returned and they feel more relaxed to able be able to fully use their borrowing potential.' Geelong's best growth in five years: units Suburb Median price 5 year change Newtown $603,000 36.4% Norlane $392,500 32.2% Bell Park $524,000 29.4% Newcomb $480,000 28.0% Corio $385,000 24.2% Whittington $375,000 22.5% Belmont $530,000 22.4% Herne Hill $355,000 22.1% Highton $502,000 21.0% Grovedale $500,000 20.1% McGrath, Geelong agent Jasmin Jurkovic said values in suburbs such as Bell Post Hill had responded as neighbouring areas heated up. 'The demographics are changing – it was a very ageing population with 80-plus year old migrants that came here 55 years ago and the built their dream home,' Ms Jurkovic said. 'The younger generation has gravitated here and appreciated the value they've got for families with land size, affordability for a good, solid brick home and all the conveniences.' Corio is the most-popular suburb in the top 10, where 291 houses sold in 12 months. The median house price has jumped from $365,000 in 2020 to $490,000. 'I became all about the bigger blocks and affordability and people were landbanking and going, 'well, it's an hour to Melbourne, first-time buyers will gravitate here if we build units',' she said. 'There's a lot of construction and building taking place and the yield was good because when you were buying something for $350,000, and the rent was about $300 to $280.'
