MELBOURNE, 21 July 2023: Japan is ‘Australia’s best friend in Asia’, says the Lowy Institute Poll 2023. There is an almost 30-point margin between Japan and the countries ranked next on this measure, India (16%) and Singapore (15%). The number of Australians who selected India has more than doubled since 2022. The question was – Thinking about Australia’s relations in Asia. In your personal opinion, which one of the following countries is Australia’s best friend in Asia? The countries being Japan, Singapore, India, Indonesia, China and South Korea respectively.
By contrast, China ranked second-lowest on the list, with only 7% seeing it as Australia’s best friend in Asia, again highlighting how attitudes towards China have changed. Less than a decade ago, Japan and China shared the title of Australia’s best friend in Asia, and in 2016 China topped the list.
South Korea remains a consistent under performer on this metric, with only 4% identifying it as Australia’s best friend in Asia — despite a strong bilateral relationship, developing strategic ties and growing cultural links.
The Poll released today reports the results of a national survey of 2077 Australian adults between 14 and 26 March 2023. The survey was conducted by the Social Research Centre (SRC), using the Life in Australia™ panel — currently the only probability-based online panel in Australia.
The Lowy Institute Poll, now in its 19th year, ‘ Understanding Australian Attitudes To The World’ (52 pages) this year deals with Global powers and world leaders, Safety and threats, Security and defence policy, Relations in the Indo-Pacific, Economic outlook and trade, Societal issues and Australian government performance. From attitudes to China and the United States, to support for Ukraine, belief in democracy, and thoughts on climate change and potential conflict in our region, the Lowy Institute Poll is the indispensable guide to how Australians see the world and their place in it.
Confidence in world leaders :
Australians have the highest levels of confidence in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (included in the Lowy Institute Poll for the first time), who captured global attention for his leadership of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion. Seven in ten Australians (72%) say they have either ‘some’ or ‘a lot’ of confidence in Zelenskyy, the same as in recently sworn-in New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. More Australians express ‘a lot of confidence’ in Zelenskyy (31%) than they do in any of the ten other leaders listed.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are the next most highly ranked leaders, with 64% of Australians saying they have ‘some’ or ‘a lot’ of confidence in each.
Confidence in US President Joe Biden remains steady at 59%, although this is ten points lower than 2021, the year he was inaugurated. Confidence in UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (63%) is marginally higher than in his predecessor Boris Johnson (59% in 2022).
Echoing the decline in Australians’ trust in China in recent years, confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping remains low at 11%. The only leaders in whom Australians have less confidence are Russian President Vladimir Putin (7%) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (3%).
