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.
Trust in Tony Abbott representing Australia
Q. How much trust do you have in Tony Abbott and the Liberal Government to handle Australia’s international relations?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
26 Nov 13 |
|
| Total a lot/some |
35% |
8% |
81% |
11% |
25% |
41% |
||
| Total little/no trust |
59% |
88% |
19% |
87% |
71% |
53% |
||
| A lot of trust |
17% |
3% |
45% |
1% |
7% |
20% |
||
| Some trust |
18% |
5% |
36% |
10% |
18% |
21% |
||
| A little trust |
16% |
16% |
14% |
12% |
28% |
18% |
||
| No trust |
43% |
72% |
5% |
75% |
43% |
35% |
||
| Don’t know |
5% |
5% |
1% |
1% |
4% |
7% |
17% of people have “a lot of trust” in Tony Abbott and the Liberal Government to handle Australia’s international relations.
43% have no trust.
Labor (72%) and Greens (75%) voters were far more likely to have ‘no trust’. Liberal/National voters were far less likely (5%) to have no trust. 45% of Liberal/National voters have “a lot of trust”.
Since this question was asked in November, those saying they have a lot or some trust has declined by 6% and those saying they have no trust increased by 8%.
Tony Abbott representing Australia
Q. When you think of Tony Abbott representing Australia at international conferences and meetings, how confident are you that he will do a good job in representing Australia to the international community?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Kevin Rudd 5 Oct 09 |
|
| Total very/somewhat confident |
45% |
15% |
91% |
14% |
44% |
74% |
||
| Very confident |
18% |
3% |
46% |
2% |
6% |
31% |
||
| Somewhat confident |
27% |
12% |
45% |
12% |
38% |
43% |
||
| Not at all confident |
50% |
81% |
8% |
85% |
54% |
18% |
||
| Don’t know |
5% |
% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
8% |
45% say they are very or somewhat confident that Tony Abbott will do a good job in representing Australia to the international community and 50% say they are not at all confident.
When this question was asked about Kevin Rudd in 2009, 74% said they were very/somewhat confident and only 18% said they were not at all confident.
Importance of Relationships with Other Countries
Q. How important is it for Australia to have a close relationship with the following nations?
| Very important | Quite important | Not very important | Don’t know | Very Important 15 Nov | Change | ||
| New Zealand | 69% | 24% | 4% | 3% | 54% | +15 | |
| United States | 60% | 33% | 5% | 2% | 56% | +4 | |
| United Kingdom | 56% | 35% | 6% | 3% | 44% | +12 | |
| China | 48% | 42% | 6% | 4% | 45% | +3 | |
| Japan | 39% | 47% | 9% | 4% | 30% | +9 | |
| Indonesia | 31% | 43% | 20% | 6% | 30% | +1 | |
| India | 26% | 42% | 26% | 5% | 24% | +2 | |
| Germany | 23% | 42% | 29% | 6% | 15% | +8 | |
| South Africa | 16% | 36% | 39% | 8% | 12% | +4 |
More than half the respondents think it is very important to have close relationships with the New Zealand (69%), United States (60%) and the United Kingdom (56%) and just under half think it is very important to have a close relationship with China (48%).
A close relationship with the United States is considered very important by 70% of Liberal/National voters and 57% of Labor voters and 48% of Greens voters.
Since this question was asked in November, there have been substantial increases in the rating of the importance of relations with New Zealand (+15%), United Kingdom (+12%) and Japan (+9%).
Change in Relationships with Other Countries
Q. Would you like to see Australia’s relationship with these countries get closer, stay the same or become less close?
| Get closer | Stay the same | Become less close | Don’t know | Get closer
15 Nov |
Change | ||
| New Zealand | 37% | 55% | 3% | 5% | 29% | +8 | |
| China | 32% | 52% | 9% | 7% | 30% | +2 | |
| Japan | 26% | 59% | 8% | 7% | 21% | +5 | |
| United Kingdom | 25% | 62% | 7% | 5% | 20% | +5 | |
| United States | 24% | 61% | 11% | 5% | 20% | +4 | |
| Indonesia | 21% | 51% | 20% | 8% | 23% | -2 | |
| India | 19% | 53% | 18% | 9% | 22% | -3 | |
| Germany | 18% | 62% | 10% | 10% | 14% | +4 | |
| South Africa | 13% | 59% | 17% | 11% | 11% | +2 |
37% think that Australia’s relationship with New Zealand should get closer and 32% think our relationship with China should get closer.
Labor voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with China (31%) and New Zealand (31%).
Liberal/National voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with New Zealand (42%) and United States (34%).
Greens voters are most likely to favour closer relationships with New Zealand (43%), China (38%) and Japan (34%).
Since this question was asked in November, the percentage wanting a closer relationship with New Zealand has increased 8%, and increased 5% for Japan and the United Kingdom.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Federal government response to Covid-19
- State government response to Covid-19
- Views towards reopening international borders
- Views towards state border closures
- Comprehension and confidence in PM’s plan to ‘safely reopen’ Australia
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Necessity of mandatory vaccinations in specific situations
- Views towards easing restrictions for fully vaccinated people
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