Three polls firmly caught my attention over the past month or so. Each was conducted by a different outlet and addressed different questions. However, taken together, they tell one overarching story – implicitly, but unmistakably. Beyond an assortment of data, the story is about direction.

The first was a CNN poll. It showed that 76 per cent of Americans now see high prices and the cost of living as their country’s most serious economic problem. Even more striking, nearly seven in 10 expect a recession within the next year.

What stayed with me wasn’t just the numbers. It was the mood around them: a sense that economic anxiety in the United States is no longer cyclical, but settling into something more persistent, almost structural.

The second poll was reported by Bloomberg, focusing on German businesses in China. Despite geopolitical tensions, nearly 40 per cent of surveyed firms expect the Chinese economy to improve in the coming months. More than a third say their own business conditions are already getting better. And 61 per cent plan to expand investment in China over the next two years, the highest level since 2023. In a world saturated with risk, capital is relocating towards stability.

The third was a Pew Research Centre survey which found that Americans’ views of China have become somewhat more positive. The share of favourable opinions has risen to 27 per cent. Confidence in President Xi Jinping to do the right thing regarding world affairs has risen four points since last year and has roughly doubled since 2023. Younger American adults continue to have more confidence in Xi than their older counterparts do.

It’s still a minority view in the US. But it suggests something subtle: when domestic pressure rises, perceptions of other countries can begin to recalibrate.