Australia Records Lowest Ever Public Favorability Amid Conflict with China

Dispute Between Two Countries Over Investigation of COVID-19 Wuhan Origin
63% of Australians Say "China Is a Threat to National Security"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] As trade tensions between Australia and China have persisted for over a year, Australians' favorability toward China has plummeted to an all-time low.

According to a regular poll released on the 22nd (local time) by the Lowy Institute, only 16% of Australian respondents said they "trust China." This marks a nearly 40 percentage point drop from the 2018 survey (52%).

Additionally, only 10% of respondents said that Chinese President Xi Jinping "fulfills international obligations," which is reported to be a decline of more than half compared to last year's survey (22%).

Notably, 63% of respondents perceived China as a threat to national security, an increase of 22 percentage points from the previous year.

The Lowy Institute emphasized that considering China is Australia's largest economic trading partner, "(the perception of China as a security threat) is a highly unusual survey result."

This decline in trust toward China is directly linked to diplomatic conflicts with China. Earlier, in 2018, after Australian authorities imposed sanctions on the import of 5G communication equipment from Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, tensions arose between the two countries.

Subsequently, last year, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an official investigation into the Wuhan origin theory of the COVID-19 virus, which led to a rapid cooling of relations between the two countries.

In response to Australia's call for a COVID-19 origin investigation, China imposed anti-dumping tariffs on Australian wheat, barley, beef, and wine, initiating trade retaliation.

Natasha Kassam, a foreign policy expert at the Lowy Institute, stated, "The past few years have been a continuous series of conflicts between Australia and China," adding, "China is a prime example of a country using economic relations with other nations as a diplomatic weapon."

Meanwhile, favorability toward the U.S. president has increased. Among respondents, 69% said they trust U.S. President Joe Biden, a 39 percentage point rise compared to last year's trust level for former President Donald Trump (30%).