Australians Put More Trust in China's Xi Than Donald Trump
(Bloomberg) -- Australians have less confidence in President Donald Trump than Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, but remain convinced that the U.S. alliance is vital for the country's security, according to a survey.
About 30 percent of Australians have confidence Trump will “do the right thing in world affairs,” according to an annual Lowy Institute survey released Wednesday. The U.S. commander-in-chief comes seventh out the nine leaders ranked in the survey, behind U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May (68 percent) and Xi (43 percent) and ahead of Russia's Vladimir Putin (19 percent) and North Korea's Kim Jong Un (5 percent).
Australia is seeking to maintain its military alliance with the U.S., which it boasts of having supported in every major conflict since World War I, while increasing its economic relationship with China. That balancing act has become increasingly fraught, with Beijing accusing Australia of creating tensions after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Chinese meddling in national affairs were a catalyst for his proposed anti-foreign interference laws.
About 76 percent of those surveyed said Australia's alliance with the U.S. was important for national security, almost unchanged from the year before. The survey was conducted in March through 1,200 interviews.
“There is no question that Donald Trump's presidency has eroded Australians' trust and confidence in the United States as a responsible global actor,” Lowy Institute Executive Director Michael Fullilove said in the survey report. “Yet despite concerns about the current occupant of the White House, Australians' support for the U.S. alliance has held firm.”
Other survey findings include:
- 72% say the government is allowing too much Chinese investment, compared with 56% in 2014
- 63% are concerned about Chinese influence in domestic politics
- 66% see terrorism and North Korea's nuclear program as critical threats
- 54% say the total number of migrants coming to Australia is too high
To contact the reporter on this story: Jason Scott in Canberra at jscott14@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Brendan Scott, Edward Johnson
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.
-
Signature Play: The Classic Cocktail Is Dead. Or Is It?
Classic cocktails are disappearing from India's cocktail menus. But they're still being ordered, taught to bartenders and borrowed from. So, who's really having the last drink?
-
A New Samvat Wishlist: Inclusive Prosperity And Human Development
India has strengthened its economic foundations through infrastructure, digital access and enterprise. Its next growth chapter must deepen productivity, create better livelihoods and widen participation in prosperity.
-
Love, Sex Aur Dhokha: The Audacious Plot To Spy On Jensen Huang
A Taipei dinner, a Singapore chip buyer and a suspected Chinese asset: inside the alleged spy operation that got close to NVIDIA's Jensen Huang.
-
Ten Things I Learnt This Samvat
Patience can be a trap. Cheap stocks can stay cheap. Leverage can wipe you out. What did Samvat 2082 teach us? Niraj Shah writes on 10 lessons from the year gone by.
-
Talking Points This Week: Tech Nerves, FII Buying, And A Faraway Banking Shock
The global markets are not shining this Diwali. The exception in the large markets is, India.
-
Midterm Rally Lasted A Day. The Hard Reality Of A Divided US May Last Two Years | Opinion
Between a contested AI boom, a debt ceiling that arrives in 2027 and a president with every incentive to act alone, the next two years may prove more volatile than the first day's rally suggests.
-
Blue Wave Will Derail the AI Trade but Won't Dismantle the AI Era | Unhedged Position
The Democrats' sweep of the US Congress will see politics collide with economic forces both over the long and short term.
-
It's Time To Take The GST Council's Bet On Trust Global
Payment records can prove India's services exports, and clear, proportionate rules can bring foreign digital sellers into the tax net.
-
Opinion | India at 38: From Innovation Overperformer to Innovation Powerhouse
India now has 453 VC-backed deep science startups, 18 of them late-stage, after 117 percent growth since 2020. Laurus Labs, at USD 9.3 billion, is the most valuable deep science company in any middle-income economy outside China.
