China trusted more than US, EU on AI regulation in Pew survey of middle-income countries
Amid rising tensions over artificial intelligence (AI) competition and global concerns about the technology, China appears to have an edge over the US and European Union (EU) in trust to regulate AI among mostly middle-income countries. A new Pew Research Centre report released on Thursday found that, on a median basis across 12 countries, more people trust China than the US or the EU to regulate…
A new Pew Research Centre report released on Thursday indicates that China is more trusted than the US or the EU to regulate AI effectively among middle-income countries. Of the 12 surveyed countries, a median of 43% trusted China, compared to 35% for the US and 34% for the EU. China emerged as the top choice for AI regulation in five of the 12 countries – Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The most significant trust gap was in Pakistan, where 87% trusted China, compared to 28% for the US and 33% for the EU. In contrast, the 2025 Pew survey found a median of 53% trust for the EU, 37% for the US and 27% for China. The perception of China's trustworthiness in AI regulation has risen in many places since last year, contributing to these high levels of trust today.
The report coincides with ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing over AI, including chip export controls and intellectual property issues. China has advocated for a people-centred, open and inclusive approach to AI, ready to cooperate in global AI governance.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
