Donald Trump\u2019s return to the White House has accelerated a profound shift in the global order, according to new analysis.<\/p>\n
A report from Focaldata<\/a>, which analyses UN voting records, reveals how Washington\u2019s \u201cAmerica First\u201d agenda has started to redraw the geopolitical map in favour of China.<\/p>\n In 2026, the world is now diplomatically closer to Beijing than it has been in recent memory, with significant shifts in alignments taking place during the start of Trump\u2019s second presidential term.<\/p>\n Focaldata\u2019s analysis used UN general assembly votes act as a proxy for geopolitical alignment: countries that consistently vote the same way on contested resolutions tend to have common interests.<\/p>\n By measuring how closely each country\u2019s voting record correlates with those of the US or China<\/a>, researchers have been able to map how the geopolitical centre of gravity is further away from Washington and closer to Beijing than at any other point this century.<\/p>\n The total number of countries strongly aligned with the US<\/a> has crashed under Trump, in contrast to China, which has maintained its allies.<\/p>\n When comparing all of Trump\u2019s years in the White House, including his first term, with those of his immediate predecessors \u2013 Barack Obama and Joe Biden \u2013 the number of countries strongly aligned with the US has collapsed, from 46 to just seven.<\/p>\n The number of countries closely in China\u2019s orbit has remained broadly constant.<\/p>\n Chart showing how the number of US-aligned countries in the UN has crashed under Trump<\/a><\/p>\n Though most of the countries that have been solidly in the US camp still vote with Washington, they have recently done so with far less regularity.<\/p>\n Some of the biggest movements have been among traditional US allies in Europe, North America and Asia, who now find themselves voting with Washington less frequently.<\/p>\n Canada<\/a>, South Korea, Japan, Germany and the UK dramatically deviated from the US in terms of UN voting patterns in 2025.<\/p>\n The research gives each country\u2019s voting record a score, from +1, meaning always voting with China in the UN, to -1, meaning always voting with the US.<\/p>\n 200920112013201520172019202120232025Always votes with US NeutralAlways votes with China<\/p>\n Guardian graphic. Source: Focaldata. US\/China alignment calculated from votes in UN general resolutions<\/p>\n A key flashpoint has been Ukraine. In February 2025, the US sided with Russia, Belarus and North Korea to vote against a resolution<\/a> condemning Russia for the Ukraine war.<\/p>\n Another strain has been Israel\u2019s war in Gaza. In June 2025, the US voted against<\/a> a resolution that called for the protection of civilians and upholding of legal and humanitarian obligations in Gaza.<\/p>\n The US sided with Israel against the resolution, while the vast majority of western countries supported the passing of the resolution. China also voted in favour.<\/p>\n The US vetoed a securty council resolution for an unconditional ceasefire<\/a>, disagreeing with Russia, China, France and the UK.<\/p>\n There have also been resolutions on issues such as the environment<\/a>, health<\/a> and migration<\/a>, which China and most western countries supported, but the US opposed.<\/p>\n As a result, Nato and European states<\/a>, once the backbone of American global influence, are now voting less reliably with the US. The shift is largely because of the US taking increasingly controversial stances on the world stage that isolates it from its longstanding allies.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, China has continued to preserve close relationships with its allies, and has begun cultivating new alliances. This year has brought foreign visits by the Canadian<\/a> and British prime ministers<\/a> for the first time in eight years.<\/p>\n 200920112013201520172019202120232025Always votes with US NeutralAlways votes with China<\/p>\n Guardian graphic. Source: Focaldata. US\/China alignment calculated from votes in UN general resolutions<\/p>\n On a regional level, Asia, Africa and South America tend to be more aligned with China \u2013 though the latter began to move more towards the US during Trump\u2019s first term.<\/p>\n This shift has happened less because of increasing pro-China sentiment in Europe, and more due to the US and Europe voting together less frequently.<\/p>\n The report says that the UK\u2019s alignment with the US in UN votes is at its lowest level since records began, with a steep drop in the past year. This has coincided with hopes that the UK can thaw icy relations<\/a> between London and Beijing.<\/p>\n