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Importance of international relationships

24 Feb 2015

Q. How important is it for Australia to have a close relationship with the following nations?

 

Very import-ant

Quite import-ant

Not very import-ant

Don’t know

 

Very Import-ant

Mar 11

Very Import-ant

Nov 13

Very Import-ant

Jun 14

Very Import-ant

Oct 14

Change

United States

44%

40%

7%

8%

60%

59%

57%

53%

-9

China

41%

41%

8%

9%

48%

54%

46%

44%

-3

United Kingdom

38%

41%

12%

9%

56%

48%

48%

48%

-10

Japan

30%

50%

9%

11%

39%

35%

32%

31%

-1

Indonesia

22%

44%

23%

11%

31%

40%

35%

32%

-10

Canada

22%

43%

23%

12%

na

na

28%

26%

-4

India

20%

47%

21%

12%

26%

26%

23%

22%

-2

Germany

18%

43%

26%

13%

23%

20%

21%

22%

-4

Saudi Arabia

12%

39%

35%

14%

na

na

na

17%

-5

Russia

11%

33%

43%

13%

na

na

na

16%

-5

44% of respondents think it is very important to have a close relationship with the United States and 41% think it is very important to have a close relationship with China. Relations with Russia (11%) and Saudi Arabia (12%) were thought to be the least important.

A close relationship with the United States is considered very important by 50% of Liberal/National voters, 47% of Labor voters and 36% of Greens voters.

Since this question was asked in October, there has been a decrease in the rating of the importance of relations for all countries – especially United Kingdom and Indonesia (both down 10%).

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