The Edelman Trust Barometer, a survey that has been conducted for twenty years to measure trust in governments, media, business, and NGOs, revealed increasing trust in autocratic states like China. The survey also emphasized that business, due to its efforts in developing vaccines and adapting workplace and retail practices, still maintained high levels of trust globally, though there were doubts about its commitment to social fairness. According to Richard Edelman, whose communications group conducted the survey of over 36,000 respondents in 28 countries between Nov 1-24 of the previous year, there is a decline in trust in democracies. He attributed this to the lack of economic confidence, with concerns about job losses related to the pandemic or automation. The institutions in Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, South Korea, and the United States have experienced a decrease in public trust over the past year. On the other hand, public trust in institutions in China, the United Arab Emirates, and Thailand has seen an increase. Despite the trillions of dollars spent by the world's richest nations to support their economies during the pandemic, there is still a lack of lasting confidence. In Japan, only 15% of people believe they will be better off in five years, while in China and India, a majority are optimistic about their economic futures. Edelman mentioned that in China, higher levels of public trust are not only related to economic perceptions but also to a greater sense of predictability regarding Chinese policy, especially during the pandemic. He noted that China's actions align with their words, resulting in a better response to COVID compared to the US. The United States currently leads in daily new death reports, while China has consistently reported no new deaths due to its strict "zero-Covid" approach. The latest Edelman survey reflects a trend of increasing disillusionment with capitalism, political leadership, and the media in recent years. Concerns about "fake news" have reached record highs, with three-quarters of respondents globally worried about its use as a weapon. Climate change has become the second biggest societal fear after unemployment. Business leaders are under pressure to make decisions based on their beliefs and values, with many consumers expecting them to address issues such as climate change, economic inequality, and workforce reskilling. However, a significant portion of people feel that businesses are not doing enough to tackle these challenges.