Only 17 percent of Australians say they trust Beijing, according to the latest Lowy Institute poll.
The Lowy Institute polls Australians annually in order to document attitudes towards politics and leadership in the nation.
In the latest round, 2,028 adults were surveyed, with results revealing an even more damning sense of suspicion when it comes to Russia. Only 8 percent have trust in the nation led by President Vladimir Putin, who started an ongoing war with Ukraine in 2022.
Low levels of trust in Beijing align with a lack of confidence in Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.
Nearly 90 percent of Australians say they have have little to no confidence in Xi to act with integrity on world affairs.
Australians remain divided on the relationship with Beijing, with slightly more than half of Australians polled seeing Beijing as more of a threat to security than a good economic partner.
Potential conflicts with Beijing over Taiwan and the South China Sea are bigger concerns for Australians than the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
In contrast, Australians consider Japan their best friend in Asia, with 87 percent feeling very positive towards the island nation.
Results also show that aside from the U.S. and UK, 45 percent of Australians would choose to have a closer security relationship with Japan.
Feelings towards India and Indonesia remained moderate, while confidence towards the U.S. under the Biden administration fell five points to 56 percent.
Confidence in President Joe Biden fell by 13 points to 46 percent—a new low for the president.
Views On Climate, Emissions, Energy
On the climate front, 57 percent of Australians say they want immediate action on climate change even if it costs them more, while 12 percent say they want to wait and see if it’s “really a problem.”Most Australians support government climate policies, including 87 percent who back the provision of subsidies for the development of renewable technologies.
Seven in 10 want to move to “more ambitious” emissions targets, while 63 percent also back providing financial support for developing countries.
More than half of Australians support moving away from coal and coal exports.
At the same time, the results show Australians want cheaper power and believe reducing costs should be a government priority.
Australia’s Democracy, Economy
There are also signs of a generational divide when it comes to attitudes around democracy, with younger Australians less likely to say it’s preferable.While 72 percent of Australians support democracy, the gap between older and younger attitudes has widened since 2022.
There’s an almost even divide among those who feel immigration levels are where they should be and those who think they are too high, while 90 percent of Australians think cultural diversity is a positive in the nation.
A slim majority of 56 percent of Australians think the Labor government is doing a good job of foreign policy.
The most concerning issue for Australians in 2024, however, is a lack of economic wellbeing.
Previous surveys have shown a healthy dose of optimism in the economy even throughout the 2008 global financial crisis.
But in the aftermath of the pandemic, economic optimism is now at 52 percent, the lowest in the Lowy Institute poll’s 20-year history.
Key factors behind economic decline appear to stem from multiple global factors, including stalled growth in China, sluggish economies in Europe, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Cost of living and interest rate hikes within Australia have caused significant anxiety for everyday Australians.
