Australians view China as more a security threat than economic partner, Lowy Institute poll shows
- Perceptions by Australians have not changed since 2021, with two-thirds of people surveyed in a Lowy Institute poll seeing China as a ‘security threat’
- The foreign policies of Russia and China have also emerged as ‘possible threats’ to the vital interests of Australia
Two-thirds of people in Australia see China as a “security threat”, while only a third see it as “more of an economic partner”, according to the results of a new poll from an independent Australian think tank.
The perceptions of China by Australians this year have not changed since 2021, according to the Lowy Institute, which collected opinions from 2,006 Australian adults in March.
It also showed that 64 per cent of Australians are also concerned about “a military conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan”, representing a 12-point increase from last year and 29 points higher than in 2020.
Trust, warmth and confidence in China and China’s leader started to decline in 2017, and continue to remain at record lows in 2022
“Trust, warmth and confidence in China and China’s leader started to decline in 2017, and continue to remain at record lows in 2022,” said Natasha Kassam, director of the Lowy Institute’s Public Opinion and Foreign Policy programme.