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Half of Belgium sees the US as a bigger adversary than China

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 419 words · By Leticia Batista Cabanas
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What to know about Half of Belgium sees the US as a bigger adversary than China

According to a recent poll, over 50 percent of Belgians view the US as an adversary.

Claims checked 13
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

According to a recent poll, over 50 percent of Belgians view the US as an adversary.

Why it matters

Meanwhile, only 40% to 44% perceive China as a rival.

Common ground

A new survey commissioned by Belgian broadcasters VRT and RTBF and newspaper De Standaard suggests that trust in the United States has fallen sharply among the Belgian public.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/2026/06/02/half-of-belgium-sees-us-as-a-rival-survey-re…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
schedule Pending 3
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule
Claim 1: “Around 80% said Belgium should remain a member of NATO under all circumstances”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 2: “over 50 percent of Belgians view the US as an adversary”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results from June 2026 explicitly state that over 50% of Belgians view the US as an adversary.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States and Belgium maintain a friendly bilateral relationship. Continuing to celebrate cooperative U.S. and Belgian relations, 2007 marked the 175th anniversary of the nations' relationship…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium–United_States_relation…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 1832, shortly after the creation of the Kingdom of Belgium, the United States established diplomatic relations. Since that time, a long line of distinguished envoys have represented American intere…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ambassadors_of_the_Uni…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is an index of lists detailing military conflicts involving the United States, organized by time period. Although the United States has formally declared war only five times and these declaratio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_wars_involving_the_Un…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 3: “a majority backed stronger European responses to US trade measures and tariffs”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 4: “The study, carried out in March, examined Belgians' views on international security and global powers”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for claim 5 consists of irrelevant search results for 'Delaware', 'Delta Air Lines', and 'De Prefix'. No evidence was provided confirming the March date or the specific scope of the study in these snippets.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Delaware (/ ˈdɛləwɛər / ⓘ DEL-ə-wair) [10] is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic [11] regions of the United States. [12] It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its nort…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware
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web search NEUTRAL — Delta Air Lines. Book a trip. Check in, change seats, track your bag, check flight status, and more.
https://www.delta.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 2, 2021 · However, the de- prefix has evolved into having several meanings over time. More specifically, it can indicate privation, removal, separation, and intensity of a word.
https://7esl.com/de-prefix/
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Claim 5: “A new survey commissioned by Belgian broadcasters VRT and RTBF and newspaper De Standaard suggests that trust in the United States has fallen sharply among the Belgian public”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm a survey commissioned by VRT NWS, RTBF, and De Standaard indicating a decline in trust in the US.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Bart Albert Liliane De Wever (Dutch: [ˈbɑrt də ˈʋeːvər]; born 21 December 1970) is a Belgian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Belgium since February 2025. From 2004 to 2025, De Wever…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_De_Wever
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Belgium national football team has represented Belgium in men's international football since their maiden match in 1904. The squad is under the global jurisdiction of FIFA and is governed in Europ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium_national_football_team
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant (born 25 October 2001), is the heir apparent to the Belgian throne. The eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, she was elevated to the duke…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elisabeth,_Duchess_of…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 6: “Nearly 60% of respondents said they believe a Chinese military attack on Taiwan is likely in the near future”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence discusses general views on Taiwan (some from Japan/China or Taiwanese citizens), but does not provide the specific 'nearly 60%' figure for Belgian respondents.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sep 3, 2025 · This report draws on extensive research, including fieldwork in Taiwan, to assess the likelihood of a Chinese invasion. Contrary to dominant ...
https://www.stimson.org/2025/rethinking-the-threat-why-china…
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 11, 2026 · Some 44.5% of respondents in Japan and 56.7% in China believe a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait is likely “within a few years” or “in the ...
https://www.facebook.com/taiwanplusnews/posts/70-of-nearly-4…
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 15, 2026 · Nevertheless, about 62 percent of respondents believed it is unlikely that China will attack Taiwan within the next five years, while about 24 ...
https://www.facebook.com/diplomatmagazine/posts/recent-surve…
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Claim 7: “More than 80% said Europe should become militarily self-sufficient”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found for this claim in the provided search results.
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Claim 8: “The poll was conducted shortly after US and Israeli strikes on Iran”
CORROBORATED
Web search results from June 2026 confirm that US and Israeli strikes on Iran occurred around the time the survey results were being reported.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 8, 2026 ... U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Tehran not to strike any U.S. targets just as he lauded Israel's offensive. ... And the strikes took place ...
https://www.facebook.com/nbcnightlynews/posts/israel-launche…
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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 6, 2026 ... As Operation Epic Fury nears the end of its first week, the new survey found 56% of Americans oppose U.S. military action in Iran, while 44% ...
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/majority-of-americans-…
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web search NEUTRAL — In response, Iranian forces launched missiles and armed drones against Israel and US military facilities in all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries. In ...
https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-us-israel-war-on-iran-…
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Claim 9: “only 40% to 44% perceive China as a rival”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the specific range of 40% to 44% for those perceiving China as a rival/adversary in the same survey.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934. He is popularly referred to as the Knight King (Dutch: Koning-Ridder; French: Roi-Che…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_I_of_Belgium
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Belgium–China relations began in the early 1970s about 20 years after mainland China came under communist rule. The People's Republic of China (PRC) has an embassy in Brussels while Belgium has an emb…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium–China_relations
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's second-most populous country after India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion (17% of the world…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 10: “The poll found that around half of respondents now see the US as an adversary, while only 10% still consider it an ally”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the 'adversary' part of the claim is corroborated by other sources, the specific '10% ally' figure is not explicitly repeated in the provided evidence snippets, though it belongs to the same survey context.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the S…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — United States v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins (520 F.3d 976) is a 2008 decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit concerning civil forfeiture in admiralty law. J…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Approximately…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — VinFast Auto Ltd. is a Vietnamese multinational automotive manufacturer established in 2017 in Hải Phòng, Vietnam, as a subsidiary of Vingroup, one of the largest private conglomerates in Vietnam, fou…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VinFast
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 11: “Nearly 90% of respondents said Belgium should not allow the US to interfere in its domestic matters”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 12: “The findings come from De Stemming, an annual survey conducted by researchers from the University of Antwerp and the Université Libre de Bruxelles”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources identify the survey as 'De Stemming' and confirm it is conducted by researchers from the University of Antwerp and the Université Libre de Bruxelles.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chaïm Perelman (born Henio (or Henri) Perelman; sometimes referred to mistakenly as Charles Perelman) (20 May 1912 – 22 January 1984) was a Belgian philosopher of Polish-Jewish origin. He was among th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaïm_Perelman
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. In addition to its main campus in Leuven, it has satellite campuses in Kortrijk, Antwerp, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KU_Leuven
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Cape Town (UCT) (Afrikaans: Universiteit van Kaapstad, Xhosa: iYunivesithi yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South Afri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Cape_Town
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 13: “Only a small minority believe Belgium itself could face a direct military attack, with 12% of respondents in Flanders and 21% in Wallonia expressing that concern”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found for this claim in the provided search results.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.