Observation
In 2019, nearly three-quarters of Australians (74%) agreed that ‘Australia is too economically dependent on China’, even though a majority (55%) agreed in 2018 that China was ‘the world’s leading economic power’. Political disagreement about China’s signature infrastructure plan, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the militarisation of the South China Sea may have had an effect on Australian attitudes towards China. More than three-quarters of the population agreed that ‘Australia should do more to resist China’s military activities in our region, even if this affects our economic relationship’ (77%, an increase of 11 points since 2015) and believed that ‘China’s infrastructure investment projects across Asia are part of China’s plans for regional domination’ (79%). Only 44% said that China’s infrastructure investment projects are good for the region. Australians’ cooler attitudes towards China may also be affected by increased attention on the human rights situation in China, and particularly in Xinjiang, since Xi Jinping took office in 2012. Only a quarter (27%) of Australians agreed that ‘Australia is doing enough to pressure China to improve human rights’, a decrease of nine points since 2011. A majority of Australians (73%) also agree that Australia should try to prevent China from increasing its influence in the Pacific.