Changing public attitudes towards China are particularly evident on the question of whether Australians see China as more of an economic partner or security threat.

Up until 2020, the most prevalent view was that China was more of an economic partner than it was a military or security threat to Australia. This flipped in 2021, at the depths of the freeze in the political relationship and while Beijing’s trade restrictions were in full force. Then, a clear majority (63%) saw China as more of a security threat, while only one-third (34%) saw China as more of an economic partner, a trend that held steady in 2022. The following year, as the relationship began to thaw, threat perceptions mellowed, and public opinion moved back towards a more even split between the two views.

In 2024, public attitudes appear to have plateaued rather than rebounded to the relative positivity of last decade. Slightly more than half of Australians (53%) now see China as more of a security threat, while 44% see it as more of an economic partner — results that have held steady from 2023.

China: economic partner or security threat