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Importance of international relationships

26 Jul 2016

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%.

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