CANBERRA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- More Australians believe that becoming more independent from the United States would be good for the country than bad, a survey has found.
The survey, which was conducted by market research firm Resolve Strategic for Nine Entertainment newspapers, found that 46 percent of Australians believe it would be a "good thing" for the nation to become more independent from the United States on foreign policy and national security.
By comparison, only 22 percent of respondents said they believe increased independence would be "bad" for Australia, with 33 percent undecided or neutral.
Among respondents who said they voted for the governing Labor Party at May's general election, 56 percent said more independence from the United States would be good for Australia.
Over half of all respondents, 53 percent, said that Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election has been a bad outcome for Australia -- down from 68 percent in April but still higher than 40 percent at the time of the U.S. election in November.
Eighteen percent of participants said that Trump's election victory has been good for Australia compared to 11 percent in April and 29 percent in November.
Resolve Strategic founder Jim Reed told Nine Entertainment newspapers that the relationship between Australia and the United States is becoming "strained," particularly on trade.
"Australians are quite frosty on Trump, and it looks like his tariffs have cruelled any chances of thawing their hearts any time soon," he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's scheduled first face-to-face meeting with Trump at June's G7 summit in Canada was abandoned after the president left the summit early.
The new survey found that 38 percent of Australians believe that the United States and Trump are most responsible for the leaders failing to meet while 26 percent said that Australia and Albanese are most responsible. ■
