Essential Report
Australia’s diplomatic and trade relationship with other countries
Q. In terms of diplomatic & trade relationships, for each of the following countries please indicate whether you think Australia should be working more closely with them, less closely with them or stay about the same as now?
TOTAL: Get closer | Jun’21 | Dec’20 |
New Zealand | 50% | 49% |
United Kingdom | 44% | 38% |
The European Union | 37% | 33% |
United States | 32% | 28% |
China | 12% | 15% |
TOTAL | Get closer | Stay the same | Become less close | Don’t know |
New Zealand | 50% | 34% | 6% | 10% |
United Kingdom | 44% | 35% | 8% | 12% |
The European Union | 37% | 41% | 9% | 13% |
United States | 32% | 42% | 14% | 11% |
China | 12% | 24% | 51% | 13% |
TOTAL: Get closer | Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | ||||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||||
New Zealand | 50% | 49% | 50% | 43% | 48% | 57% | 58% | 46% | 48% | 48% | ||
United Kingdom | 44% | 47% | 41% | 32% | 38% | 61% | 47% | 51% | 24% | 46% | ||
The European Union | 37% | 40% | 34% | 29% | 35% | 45% | 43% | 33% | 40% | 35% | ||
United States | 32% | 37% | 26% | 22% | 29% | 42% | 33% | 38% | 15% | 34% | ||
China | 12% | 16% | 9% | 14% | 13% | 10% | 16% | 10% | 20% | 8% | ||
Base (n) | 1,087 | 527 | 560 | 328 | 374 | 385 | 378 | 407 | 98 | 102 | ||
- New Zealand still remains Australians’ preferred diplomatic and trading partner (50% wanting closer ties), followed by the UK (44% closer ties, an increase from 38% in December), the EU (37%), and the US (32%).
- Only 12% of Australians want closer ties with China – half (50%) want Australia to become less close with China, and a further quarter (24%) think our relationship with China should stay the same at most. 13% don’t know.

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