In Australia, a key U.S. ally, public opinion that relations with China matter more than ties with the United States has, for the first time, surpassed a majority. The shift is seen as stemming from growing distrust of U.S. foreign policy since the launch of the Donald Trump administration.
According to a 2026 public opinion survey that the Lowy Institute in Australia released on the 22nd (local time), 51% of respondents said relations with China are more important than those with the United States. That is up 8 percentage points from last year. By contrast, 45% said Australia should prioritize ties with the United States.
The Lowy Institute has conducted this survey annually since 2005, and its results are regarded as a key indicator of Australians' views on foreign affairs. In particular, diplomats from various countries stationed in Canberra, the Australian capital, are also known to closely watch the results.
Trust in the United States also fell sharply. The share who said the United States would act responsibly in the international community was 31%, down 5 percentage points from last year and the lowest on record for the survey. Only 21% said President Trump would make the right decisions on international issues.
Michael Fullilove, director of the Lowy Institute, said, "Australians are wary of Trump's America," adding, "Fewer than a third of Australians believe the United States will act responsibly in the international community, and trust in President Trump has also fallen further from last year."
By contrast, trust in China rose to 28%, up 8 percentage points from last year. Considering that in a 2022 survey trust in the United States was 65% and trust in China was 12%, this marks a significant change in Australians' views on foreign affairs.
Since the launch of the Trump administration, trust in the United States abroad has been wavering, especially among key allies. That is because President Trump, invoking "America First," imposed high tariff even on allies and floated the possibility of incorporating Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark—moves rarely seen in traditional alliances.
The weakening trust in the United States is also appearing in Europe. In an early-month poll by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) of 19,481 adults across 15 European countries, an average of only 11% viewed the United States as an ally. Compared with the survey in November last year, trust in the United States has fallen to about half in just six months.
At the time, the Guardian cited the report and said, "President Trump's aggressive stance toward the Middle East, the threat regarding Greenland, the declared withdrawal of U.S. troops from bases in Europe, and skepticism about the future of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) have also worked to reinforce Europe's pragmatic posture."