Bertelsmann Stiftung Global Policy Council

The world's perception of China as a major global power is growing, with many people believing it will rival the United States in influence by 2020, according to a major survey released this week. Russia's image as a world power has also rebounded sharply in the last two years, while India and Brazil are expected to emerge rapidly as economic and political heavyweights, according to the survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation, a German research group.

A new study finds the most people around the world see the United States' role as a global power diminishing. Meanwhile, though almost half of Germans see their country as a world player, they also see that role shrinking over time.