Australians equally distrust both Trump and Xi: survey

[CANBERRA] Australians are equally distrustful of both US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to a new survey, complicating Canberra’s task of managing ties with its key security ally and biggest trading partner.

A new survey released by the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney showed that 72 per cent of respondents said they did not trust Trump to act responsibly in global affairs, just edging out the 71 per cent who said they did not trust China’s Xi. When asked whether Trump or Xi would be a better partner for Australia, the two leaders were tied at 45 per cent apiece.

The results come as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends a Group of Seven meeting in Canada, where he could hold his first face-to-face meeting with the US president. Albanese will be hoping to negotiate an exemption on US steel and aluminium tariffs for Australia, as well as trying to secure Trump’s support for Aukus following the announcement in Washington of a review of the security accord.

Albanese’s balancing act with Trump is a difficult one. Australians’ faith in the US has deteriorated following the president’s return to the White House. Trust in America as a global player has fallen to just 36 per cent, by far the lowest result in the Lowy survey’s 20-year history.

Yet despite an aversion to Trump, Australians are not ready to move away from the US as the nation’s primary security partner. The survey showed consistent support for the US alliance, with 80 per cent of respondents saying America was important for Australia’s security.

Meanwhile, attitudes to China have slightly improved, although Beijing is generally considered less reliable than the US across most metrics. BLOOMBERG