This recently released Chicago Council survey on American views of Asia provides moderate to strong support for the US policy position towards Asia referred to as 'the pivot.' Fifty-four percent are in favour of shifting military and diplomatic resources from the Middle East to Asia while only 40% oppose.
Public opinion provides even stronger support for the strategic principles behind the present policy. For the first time in this survey's history, a majority of respondents see Asia as more important than Europe for the US; there is much greater understanding of the importance of Asia in general and China in particular to the US. Public opinion was also very much in tune with which East Asian powers are America's most important and closest partners. Alas, Australia was not included in the survey question.
This survey again questions the conventional wisdom about the insularity of the American public and should make easier reading for Asia policy-makers in Washington than the Lowy Institute poll does for their peers in Canberra.
Photo by Flickr user SS&SS.