A new survey out this week shows citizens of a key American ally in the Asia Pacific don't trust the United States as much as they used to.
Australians' trust in the United States has hit a record low. That's according to the Lowy Institute, a respected Australian think tank that’s been doing these surveys for more than 20 years.
And the loss in confidence in the United States is coupled with a gain in positive feelings about China.
In 2022, nearly two-thirds of Australians surveyed believed the United States would “act responsibly in the world.”
Today, less than one-third share that view.
Four years ago, only 12% of Australians believed China would “act responsibly in the world.”
Today, that figure has more than doubled to 28% — close to the score of the United States.
The author of the poll told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Australians have a “strong distaste for Trumpism and his policy agenda.”
In fact, only 21% of those surveyed said they trusted Donald Trump to do the right thing in world affairs. That's a record low for a U.S. president.
It's also just a single percentage point higher than the trust level Australians have in Chinese President Xi Jinping.
As for the region, last year Australians said their country had the most influence in the Pacific Islands.
This year, their answer is China.
