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 impor-tant
Mar 11 |
Very import-ant
Nov 13 |
Very import-ant
Oct 14 |
Very import-ant
Feb 15 |
Very import-ant
May 15 |
Change | ||
| United States | 49% | 37% | 6% | 8% | 60% | 59% | 53% | 44% | 44% | +5 | |
| China | 42% | 42% | 9% | 7% | 48% | 54% | 44% | 41% | 39% | +3 | |
| United Kingdom | 41% | 42% | 9% | 9% | 56% | 48% | 48% | 38% | 39% | +2 | |
| Indonesia | 26% | 42% | 22% | 10% | 31% | 40% | 32% | 22% | 21% | +4 | |
| Japan | 25% | 50% | 15% | 9% | 39% | 35% | 31% | 30% | 31% | -6 | |
| Canada | 22% | 43% | 24% | 10% | na | na | 26% | 22% | 24% | -2 | |
| India | 19% | 44% | 25% | 11% | 26% | 26% | 22% | 20% | 22% | -3 | |
| Germany | 19% | 44% | 26% | 11% | 23% | 20% | 22% | 18% | 20% | -1 | |
| Russia | 17% | 35% | 36% | 12% | na | na | 16% | 11% | 13% | +4 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 13% | 34% | 39% | 13% | na | na | 17% | 12% | 14% | -1 |
49% of respondents think it is very important to have a close relationship with the United States and 42% think it is very important to have a close relationship with China and 41% with the United Kingdom. Relations with Russia (17%) and Saudi Arabia (13%) were thought to be the least important.
A close relationship with the United States is considered very important by 59% of Liberal/National voters, 49% of Labor voters and 32% of Greens voters.
Since this question was asked in May last year, the importance of our relationship with the US has increased 5% and the importance of our relationship with japan decreased 6%.