Of course they're viewed more positively in middle income than high income countries. The high income countries are all part of a global military alliance focused entirely on destroying communism and have fed their populations anti-communist propaganda for decades.

They're one the main geopolitical adversaries of the political block that all the rich countries have formed, whereas they are investing in and helping develop poorer countries.

It is an absolute laugh though that all the countries that destroyed the Middle East over the last 30 years think China is a threat to world peace.

Across the high-income countries surveyed, a median of 70% view China unfavorably.

Across the middle-income countries surveyed, a median of 56% view China favorably.

This is worrying. China doesn't give a fuck what high income countries think about them because we still buy their shit anyway. They care about the middle and lower income countries, though, because they can exploit minorities and pay lower income to outsource to them (which is crazy considering how little they pay their own laborers).