China and Xi Jinping's Approval Rating Skyrockets in Russia

More Russians have viewed Chinese leadership favorably since the beginning of the Ukraine war, a new poll says.

According to a 2023 Gallup poll, approval of China's leadership, under Xi Jinping, in Russia reached an unprecedented 71 percent, a stark contrast to the declining favorability of Western powers.

As Russia navigates the sanctions and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, its alliance with Beijing has become increasingly vital. Russian economy has grown increasingly dependent on China as the sanctions regime has nearly cut off Kremlin from the rest of the world. Beijing hasn't extended support for Russia's Ukraine war but has indirectly given assistance to the Kremlin's war efforts.

As the Ukraine conflict continues, a significant shift in global alliances is observed, with China increasingly winning the soft-power battle over the West in the eyes of many Russians. A recent Gallup poll has highlighted this trend, showing a record-high approval of China's leadership among the Russian populace.

"Approval of China's leadership in Russia reached a record high of 71% in 2023, while approval of German and U.S. leadership sank to levels not seen in nearly a decade," the Gallup poll reported. This shift indicates a realignment in Russian public opinion, significantly influenced by the ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

As per the Gallup data, the increase in favorability towards China didn't happen immediately after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was a gradual change, with Russian approval of China starting to climb after the illegal annexation of Crimea Crimea in 2014. However, prior to the Ukraine war, approval had never crossed 56 percent.

Furthermore, the poll revealed that this high approval of China's leadership in 2023 is consistent across all major demographic groups and regions in Russia. The geographical distribution of approval ratings shows the highest in Russia's Far East region and the lowest in the Northwest region, which includes St. Petersburg.

In stark contrast, Russian views of U.S. leadership have deteriorated significantly since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. "Russian views of U.S. leadership gradually recovered from their single-digit lows and reached a post-2014 peak of 18% in 2020," the Gallup report noted, but these gains almost entirely dissipated after the Ukraine conflict started, with current U.S. leadership approval now at just 6 percent.

Trade between Russia and China is expected to reach a record $200 billion in 2023, according to the Gallup report.

The Gallup survey results were based on phone interviews of 2,000 adults, aged 15 and older, conducted in Russia from May 23 to July 29, 2023.

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