BERLIN, (Reuters) – Relations between Germany, the United States and Germany have greatly improved since the election of U.S. president Joe Biden. Germans now regard Washington as their best ally, a poll showed Monday.

Kantar Public’s September/October polling of over 1,100 Germans revealed that a majority considers China’s increasing influence on the global stage to be negative.

Germany’s strong business relationships with China have been a boon under the current Chancellor Angela Merkel. Officials are growing more concerned about China’s increasing dependence.

The Berlin Pulse survey found that 71% of those surveyed regarded transatlantic relations as very or good.

It was a significant increase from 18% in the year prior, when Donald Trump still ruled.

According to 44% of respondents, America was the most important ally for Germany. France had 27%.

Germans desire closer cooperation with America on the global stage, particularly in the areas of security and defense (73%), free-trade (64%%) as well as human rights (63%).

According to Nora Mueller of the Koerber Foundation, “It’s encouraging that Trump has not created an irreversible alienation among Germans and Americans.”

Mueller said that it is still to be determined if the positive trend will persist, especially as a lot of transatlantic problems remain unresolved.

Survey results showed that the majority (55%) viewed China’s rising influence as negative, for the first-time since 2017.

China, compared to Russia was seen as a greater threat to Germany’s democracy and social-market economy.