Gallup:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — While the Trump administration is still redefining the U.S. role in the Asia-Pacific, the region’s reactions to the “America First” policy have been mixed so far. Despite a precipitous drop in approval of U.S. leadership among allied nations in the Asia-Pacific region, from 51% in 2016 to 38% in 2017, the belief among residents that the U.S. military would defend their country or territory in a military conflict remained largely steady.
Importantly, the most recent round of data collection occurred in mid-2017 and does not reflect possible shifts in public opinion after more recent developments such as the suspension of a joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise following the Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June 2018.
The perceived willingness of the U.S. to defend allied and non-allied countries in a military conflict varies across the region. Australians and Filipinos were most likely to express confidence that the U.S. would come to their aid in 2016 and 2017, while Pakistanis and Chinese were least likely to do so.
