Aussies rank US behind China

By Rodney Dalton and Patrick Walters

29-03-2005

From: The Australian

WHILE John Howard staunchly followed his close friend George W. Bush to war, Australians don't hold the same affection for our key ally, with the US ranking below China, France and Japan in the public's estimation.

Only 58 per cent of Australians have "positive feelings" towards the world's superpower, with more than two-thirds complaining that the US holds too much sway over Australian foreign policy.

According to the first annual Lowy Institute poll, released yesterday, Australians rated the US above only our northern neighbour Indonesia and the so-called axis of evil member Iran and its war-torn neighbour Iraq.

Despite the findings, the majority of Australians regard the US alliance as important. Sixty-one per cent said they regarded our alliance with the US as "very important" to Australia's security.

The national poll - conducted last month - found almost 70 per cent think that Canberra is too heavily influenced by US foreign policy.

Asked how worried they were about potential threats from the outside world, 32 per cent of respondents said they were "very worried" about US foreign policies. Thirty-six per cent said they were very worried about Islamic fundamentalism.

However, unfriendly countries developing nuclear weapons - 51 per cent - and global warming - 46 per cent - were the highest-ranked concerns of those surveyed.

While both political parties support the 53-year-old ANZUS alliance, Labor's foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said yesterday that for Labor "alliance has never equalled compliance with every item of US foreign policy".

"The danger for the Howard Government is that they don't readily make that distinction," Mr Rudd said.

However, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who had been briefed on the Lowy findings, said Australians "are very committed to the American alliance".

"It depends what questions you put to people, the time that those questions are asked and what happens to be in the media on that day," Mr Downer said. "We don't do polling on foreign policy, ever.

"Public opinion can shift very, very dramatically in very short periods of time.

"You can't run a foreign policy on the back of opinion polls. It just can't be done."

The Lowy Institute poll found that 94 per cent of Australians feel positive toward New Zealand, ahead of Japan (84 per cent), China (69 per cent) and France (66 per cent).

The poll of 1000 Australians could not explain whether the attitude was a temporary response to the Bush administration's foreign policy or part of a longer-term agenda.

"Is it something to do with the Bush administration ... (or) is it Australia's traditional thumbing-the-nose at authority," Lowy Institute executive director Allan Gyngell said.

The recent nomination of Mr Bush's close adviser Karen Hughes as under-secretary of state for public affairs suggests that the US is aware it needs to work on its international image, Mr Gyngell said.

While more than 70 per cent of respondents feel safer under the US alliance, an equal number said if the US went to war with China over independence for Taiwan, Australia should not follow.

On the economic front, only 34 per cent thought the US free trade agreement was good for Australia, with 32 per cent saying it was bad. Asked about a free trade agreement with China, 51 per cent thought it would be good for Australia.