The power and influence of the U.S. is seen as a major threat by more than one third of people worldwide, according to a report published Tuesday.
Research by the Pew Research Center found that 35 percent of people surveyed across 38 different countries said the U.S.’s power and influence posed a big danger to their countries.
Along with Russia and China, the country was viewed by about a third of respondents to the survey to pose a significant threat.
The publication of the study follows a series of dramatic events in the White House.
President Donald Trump has presided over a series of resignations, including his director of communications Anthony Scaramucci, who was in a job for just 10 days. Trump has also raised tensions with China over North Korea’s testing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The president said he was “very disappointed” with the country, tweeting: “…they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!”
About six in ten people (62%) surveyed across 38 countries said that ISIS was a greater danger to their national security, while 61 percent said global climate change posed the biggest threat.
Cyberattacks and the global economy were tied, with 51 percent of people polled saying that both posed a significant threat.
The U.S. and 17 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia singled out ISIS as the leading threat to their countries’ national security. A substantial number of these nations have endured deadly terrorist attacks claimed by the Islamist militant group.
In June, the U.K. was hit by a terror attack in its capital, when a van was driven into pedestrians at London Bridge. Three male occupants left the van and started attacking people in nearby Borough Market with knives, killing 8 and injuring 48.
Terrorist incidents have particularly affected countries in the Middle East, with conflicts in Syria, Iraq and others fermenting extremism.
Global climate change was identified by citizens in 13 countries in Latin America and Africa as the biggest threat.
It was classed as the second biggest concern for many of the other countries polled by the research organization.
Cyberattacks from other nations and the condition of the global economy were identified as the third biggest concern.
Japanese respondents said they feared cyberattacks the most, while people living in the U.S., Germany and Britain placed it as the second-highest concern for them. These latter countries were particularly affected by last month’s ransomware cyberattacks.
The state of the international economy was the biggest concern for Greeks and Venezuelans, reflecting economic struggles in both countries in recent years.
Source: cnbc
US power and influence seen as a major threat by over a third of people worldwide: Study