Middle-Income Nations Trust China Over US on AI Regulation

Survey reveals divergent trust patterns

China commands greater confidence than the United States or European Union when it comes to artificial intelligence regulation among a dozen mostly middle-income countries, according to new research from the Pew Research Centre released Thursday.

Across the 12 surveyed nations—including Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, Malaysia, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem—a median 43 percent of respondents said they trust China to regulate AI effectively. That compares to 35 percent for the United States and 34 percent for the EU, according to the findings first reported by the South China Morning Post.

The pattern represents a stark reversal from Pew's 2025 survey of 25 different countries, which found 53 percent trusted the EU on AI regulation, 37 percent trusted the US, and just 27 percent trusted China.

Why it matters

As Washington and Beijing compete for technological leadership, perceptions of regulatory competence in developing economies could shape which standards and governance frameworks gain traction globally. These middle-income nations represent significant markets for AI deployment and may influence whether Chinese or Western approaches to AI governance become dominant in their regions. The trust gap also complicates US efforts to build international coalitions around AI safety and export controls.

Pakistan shows widest confidence gap

China emerged as the most trusted country for AI regulation in five of the twelve places surveyed: Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The disparity reached its peak in Pakistan, where 87 percent expressed trust in China's regulatory capacity, compared to just 28 percent for the US and 33 percent for the EU.

The Philippines stood alone as the only country where the US enjoyed higher trust than both China and the EU.

Income level correlates with views

Laura Silver, Pew's associate director of research, told the South China Morning Post that middle-income countries "tend to have more positive views of China than high-income countries." She noted that trust in a country's AI regulation closely tracks overall views of that nation.

Silver added that views of China "have risen in many places since last year," likely contributing to elevated trust levels on AI regulation in 2026.

Wealthy nations fear job displacement

The report also documented sharp anxiety about AI's employment impact in affluent countries. In Australia and South Korea, 76 percent of respondents said AI would lead to job losses, while 71 percent of Americans expressed the same concern—up seven percentage points from 2024.

Geopolitical context

The findings arrive as President Donald Trump prepares to host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington next week, with AI governance expected to feature in discussions. The two powers have clashed over chip export controls, model distillation practices, and intellectual property related to AI development.

Chris Miller, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, suggested AI companies are "unlikely to focus heavily on the views of small economies" since primary markets remain the US, Europe, and major Asian economies. He predicted countries will ultimately impose their own AI regulations, similar to divergent social media rules.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said China "stands ready to work with all parties to bridge the digital divide" and supports international AI governance cooperation.

The findings were first reported by the South China Morning Post based on the Pew Research Centre report.