Thought leaders think China and the United States will both lose influence globally because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Among thought leaders, 45% believe that U.S.-China competition in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic will cause both countries to lose influence globally, while 33% think China will gain relative influence globally.

CSIS | Thought Leaders Q33

By the Numbers

45%
of U.S. thought leaders believe that both the U.S. and China will lose global influence due to Covid-19.
33%
of U.S. thought leaders think China will gain relative influence globally due to Covid-19.

This aligns with views of thought leaders abroad, where 48% believe the Covid-19 pandemic will cause both countries to lose influence globally, and 31% think China will gain relative influence globally.

This contrasts with the public, where views are more mixed and generally less pessimistic about the impact on the United States’ influence. Comparatively, only 22% of the public believes both countries will lose influence, and only 16% believe that China will gain more influence. However, 18% believe the United States will gain more influence, while 23% of the public are unsure of the impact.