WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Positive perception of China's global leadership continues to strengthen, with China's approval rating rising to its highest in almost a decade, U.S. public opinion polls conductor Gallup said Thursday.

The new Gallup report, which measured how adults in 133 countries and areas feel about the global leadership of the United States, Germany, Russia and China, showed that China earned a median 34 percent approval rating in 2018, 3 percent above its 2017 rating. The latest rating is China's highest score since 2009.

Germany remained the top-rated global power for the second consecutive year. However, the country's 39 percent approval rating in 2018 was its first score below 40 percent since 2007.

The report also found the United States and Russia neck and neck, with 31 percent saying they approve of the U.S. leadership, and 30 percent indicating approval for Russia.

The poll was based on interviews with about 1,000 people in each studied countries or areas between March and December 2018.