Filipino trust in China improves, but remains negative

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino trust in China has climbed to its least negative levels since December 2022, according to a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll, even as both countries continue to trade protests over incidents in the West Philippine Sea. Net trust for China among Filipino adults rose to -16 in June from -19 in March, according to the SWS second quarter survey released Friday, August 7. This is the closest China has come to neutral in SWS' polling in three and a half years, since it garnered a net trust of -6 in December 2022. The lowest net trust for China was at -54 in June 2024, at the height of confrontations between both countries' vessels at Ayungin Shoal. In its most recent survey, SWS found that Filipinos who had "much trust" in China climbed to 25% from 22%, while those with "little trust" stayed at 41%. The undecided share shrank to 30% from 35%. Overall, China remains under the "poor" category of SWS' scale, which puts scores between -10 and -29 in that bracket. China's net trust in the SWS surveys have been positive in only nine of 74 surveys since SWS first asked Filipinos about their trust for China in August 1994, peaking at a "moderate" +17 in June 2010. The survey took place at a time when the West Philippine Sea was back at the top of the news, driven by China's installation and eventual removal of a floating platform at Scarborough Shoal — a structure that officials and lawmakers called an illegal incursion and experts warned could be used to turn the shoal into an artificial island. Meanwhile, Filipinos' trust in the United States has had the opposite trend over the past 12 months. Net trust for the US was +42 in June, up three points from March, but 21 points below the +63 it drew in June 2025. The March reading of +39 was the lowest for the US since 2010. Its rating has never gone negative since SWS began measuring trust for the US in December 1994. Japan stayed "good" at +36, up two points from March. Australia held at "moderate" with +29, up six points. Israel turns negative for the first time since 2024. Israel fell six points to -5, its first negative score since March 2024. Palestine dropped seven points to -19, matching its September 2024 level. Iran slipped a point to -23, the lowest among the eight countries in the survey. Russia was at -8, down three points, and has been in the negatives in all but three SWS polls since 1995. Survey methodology. SWS interviewed 1,200 adults face-to-face across the country from June 20 to 29, with an overall margin of error at ±3 percentage points. Net trust is the share expressing much trust minus the share expressing little trust. SWS said the country-trust questions were not commissioned. Survey respondents were asked to answer: "Let’s now talk about some countries. For the following, please indicate if your trust/faith in (COUNTRY) is VERY MUCH, SOMEWHAT MUCH, UNDECIDED IF MUCH OR LITTLE, SOMEWHAT LITTLE, VERY LITTLE, or YOU HAVE NOT HEARD OR READ ANYTHING ABOUT THE (COUNTRY) ever? You may indicate your answers by placing each card on the appropriate box on this rating board.]”