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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 | Stay the same | Become less close | Don’t know |
| New Zealand | 49% | 33% | 6% | 12% |
| United Kingdom | 38% | 42% | 8% | 12% |
| The European Union | 33% | 42% | 11% | 14% |
| United States | 28% | 44% | 15% | 13% |
| China | 15% | 20% | 49% | 15% |
| 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 | 49% | 50% | 48% | 40% | 45% | 61% | 50% | 52% | 60% | 50% | ||
| United Kingdom | 38% | 42% | 34% | 25% | 34% | 53% | 40% | 45% | 25% | 45% | ||
| The European Union | 33% | 38% | 27% | 22% | 33% | 42% | 33% | 37% | 37% | 33% | ||
| United States | 28% | 34% | 23% | 18% | 28% | 36% | 25% | 37% | 21% | 31% | ||
| China | 15% | 20% | 11% | 18% | 17% | 11% | 18% | 12% | 19% | 20% | ||
- New Zealand is Australian’s preferred diplomatic and trading partner (49% wanting closer ties), followed by the UK (38% closer ties) and the EU (33%).
Views towards trade disputes between Australia and China
Q. There are ongoing trade disputes between Australia and China, with China imposing high tariffs on imported Australian products.
Some people see this as a reaction from China to Australian calls for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19 and leading international pressure on the Chinese Government’s record on human rights.
Which of the following statements is closer to you views on this issue?
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||||
| Australia is the innocent victim of Chinese assertion in restricting trade on certain products | 62% | 63% | 61% | 53% | 65% | 67% | 59% | 67% | 46% | 65% | ||
| Australia has made itself a target by publicly criticising the Chinese government | 38% | 37% | 39% | 47% | 35% | 33% | 41% | 33% | 54% | 35% | ||
| Base (n) | 1,071 | 539 | 532 | 339 | 374 | 358 | 356 | 406 | 102 | 107 | ||
- The majority of people think Australia is the victim of trade restrictions by China (62%), with the remainder linking the dispute to criticism of China by the Australian government (38%).
- Those most likely to think Australian trade has been unfairly restricted include those aged over 55 (67%) and Coalition voters (67%).
Views towards Scott Morrison’s handling of recent Twitter controversy
Q. Which of the following is closer to your view on the recent controversy over an official Chinese Twitter account sharing a fake image on Twitter showing an Australian soldier threatening to kill a child?
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||||
| Scott Morrison was right to publicly demand an apology from the Chinese government, even if China retaliates by restricting trade with Australia | 56% | 55% | 57% | 48% | 57% | 62% | 51% | 65% | 41% | 68% | ||
| Scott Morrison should have let the issue be handled through diplomatic channels. At this time of economic uncertainty, the last thing we need is to publicly criticise our biggest trading partner | 44% | 45% | 43% | 52% | 43% | 38% | 49% | 35% | 59% | 32% | ||
| Base (n) | 1,071 | 539 | 532 | 339 | 374 | 358 | 356 | 406 | 102 | 107 | ||
- Over half believe the Prime Minister was correct to demand an apology from the Chinese government regarding the fake Twitter incident (56%), but 44% believe it should have been handled by other diplomatic means.
- Those aged 18-34 (52%), Labor voters (49%) and Greens voters (59%) disagree with publicly criticising China over the incident.
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
| TOTAL:
Closely |
TOTAL:
Not closely |
|
| The Covid-19 outbreak in South Australia | 69% | 31% |
| The trial results of Covid-19 vaccines | 66% | 34% |
| The Trump campaign’s ongoing legal disputes regarding the US presidential election | 56% | 44% |
| The alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan | 53% | 47% |
- The Covid-19 outbreak in South Australia was the news item most closely followed over the past two weeks (69%), followed closely by the trial results of Covid-19 vaccines (66%).
- The Trump campaign’s ongoing legal disputes regarding the US presidential election was followed by 56% of people and the alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan by 53%.
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
The Covid-19 outbreak in South Australia
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
| Very closely | 26% | 28% | 23% | 22% | 28% | 27% | 24% | 29% | 30% | 22% |
| Fairly closely | 43% | 45% | 42% | 42% | 41% | 46% | 48% | 46% | 31% | 36% |
| Not that closely | 23% | 21% | 25% | 28% | 22% | 21% | 23% | 21% | 25% | 28% |
| Not closely at all | 8% | 6% | 9% | 7% | 9% | 7% | 4% | 4% | 14% | 14% |
| TOTAL: Closely | 69% | 73% | 65% | 65% | 69% | 73% | 73% | 75% | 61% | 59% |
| TOTAL: Not closely | 31% | 27% | 35% | 35% | 31% | 27% | 27% | 25% | 39% | 41% |
| Base (n) | 1,034 | 528 | 506 | 329 | 320 | 385 | 322 | 430 | 88 | 107 |
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
The alleged war crimes committed by Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
| Very closely | 17% | 23% | 10% | 17% | 16% | 17% | 19% | 17% | 22% | 17% |
| Fairly closely | 36% | 39% | 34% | 32% | 33% | 42% | 38% | 40% | 27% | 33% |
| Not that closely | 31% | 27% | 36% | 32% | 31% | 31% | 30% | 32% | 31% | 29% |
| Not closely at all | 16% | 11% | 21% | 18% | 20% | 10% | 13% | 11% | 21% | 21% |
| TOTAL: Closely | 53% | 62% | 44% | 49% | 49% | 59% | 57% | 57% | 49% | 50% |
| TOTAL: Not closely | 47% | 38% | 56% | 51% | 51% | 41% | 43% | 43% | 51% | 50% |
| Base (n) | 1,034 | 528 | 506 | 329 | 320 | 385 | 322 | 430 | 88 | 107 |
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
The Trump campaign’s ongoing legal disputes regarding the US presidential election
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
| Very closely | 22% | 29% | 16% | 23% | 25% | 19% | 21% | 25% | 29% | 28% |
| Fairly closely | 34% | 36% | 33% | 38% | 31% | 34% | 39% | 36% | 28% | 28% |
| Not that closely | 29% | 23% | 33% | 27% | 28% | 31% | 28% | 29% | 27% | 22% |
| Not closely at all | 15% | 11% | 19% | 13% | 17% | 15% | 12% | 10% | 16% | 22% |
| TOTAL: Closely | 56% | 65% | 48% | 60% | 56% | 54% | 60% | 61% | 57% | 55% |
| TOTAL: Not closely | 44% | 35% | 52% | 40% | 44% | 46% | 40% | 39% | 43% | 45% |
| Base (n) | 1,034 | 528 | 506 | 329 | 320 | 385 | 322 | 430 | 88 | 107 |
Interest in news stories
Q. How closely have you been following these news stories in the last fortnight?
The trial results of Covid-19 vaccines
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
| Very closely | 23% | 28% | 18% | 16% | 27% | 25% | 21% | 27% | 25% | 22% |
| Fairly closely | 43% | 42% | 44% | 47% | 37% | 46% | 51% | 44% | 35% | 33% |
| Not that closely | 25% | 23% | 26% | 28% | 25% | 22% | 21% | 23% | 31% | 29% |
| Not closely at all | 9% | 7% | 11% | 9% | 11% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 10% | 15% |
| TOTAL: Closely | 66% | 70% | 63% | 63% | 63% | 72% | 72% | 71% | 59% | 55% |
| TOTAL: Not closely | 34% | 30% | 37% | 37% | 37% | 28% | 28% | 29% | 41% | 45% |
| Base (n) | 1,034 | 528 | 506 | 329 | 320 | 385 | 322 | 430 | 88 | 107 |
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Download this week's ReportEssential Report
Two Party Preferred:
Labor
45%
Coalition
48%
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Top Federal Government priorities for 2021
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Perceptions of change in the standard of living for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Changing views towards Australia Day
- Support towards a separate national day
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