Retail investors now view China as slightly better positioned than theUnited States to lead the global artificial intelligence race, according to anew survey by trading platform eToro.The latest Retail Investor Beat survey, based on responses from 11,000retail investors across 13 countries, found that 47% selected China as thecountry best positioned to lead the AI race, compared with 46% for the UnitedStates.RetailInvestors See China Challenging USThe findings mark a shift in investor sentiment, suggesting that AI isincreasingly viewed as a global competition for technological and economicleadership rather than a theme driven mainly by US technology stocks.Lale Akoner, eToro'sGlobal Market Strategist, said investors continue to focus on major UStechnology and chip companies, including NVIDIA, Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon. However, shesaid investors also recognize China's AI ecosystem, including Alibaba, Tencentand Baidu, as well as its strengths in cloud infrastructure and manufacturing.The global figure masked regional differences. In nine of the 13 surveyedcountries—including the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Denmark, theNetherlands, the Czech Republic and Australia—more investors chose China thanthe United States.InvestorsBroaden AI Bets Beyond ChipsThe United States was the main exception. Among US respondents, 63% saidthe US was best positioned to lead the AI race, while 41% selected China.The survey also showed a growing interest in China as a long-terminvestment destination. Since the fourth quarter of 2024, the share ofinvestors who believe Chinawill generate the strongest long-term stock market returns has risen from 24%to 29%, while the figure for the United States has fallen from 45% to 35%.Exposure to Chinese equities also increased, with the proportion ofinvestors holding Chinese stocks rising from 7% in Q2 2024 to 12% in Q2 2026.At the same time, optimism toward AI-related stocks moderated. The shareof investors expecting AI stocks to rise fell from 55% to 44% over the pastyear, while those expecting declines increased from 11% to 17%.When asked which AI segment is most likely to generate the strongestreturns over the next five years, 31% selected large technology platforms, 29%chose AI-focused companies and 28% favored semiconductor firms.This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.