Public support in Australia for its longstanding military alliance with the US has fallen to its lowest in almost a decade amid concerns over the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency, a new survey shows.
The Lowy Institute’s annual poll also shows Australians are evenly divided on whether the country’s most important foreign relationship is with the US or China, reflecting a surge in trade and personal connections with the Asian economic powerhouse.
Michael Fullilove, the think-tank’s director, said the results were remarkable given Australia has been most reliable US ally, with its soldiers fighting beside Americans in every major conflict during the 20th and 21st centuries.