Three in four Australians think China will be military threat to country within 20 years, survey finds

Lowy Institute poll shows more than 60% see a US-China conflict over Taiwan as a critical threat but most believe Australia should remain neutral if it occurs

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Three-quarters of Australians believe it is likely China will become a military threat to Australia in the next two decades, but a majority say Australia should remain neutral in the event of a conflict between China and the United States, a new poll has found.

The 2023 Lowy Institute poll, which surveyed more than 2,000 Australians in March on a range of issues, also found 44% of Australians see China as “more of an economic partner” while 52% see the country as “more of a security threat” – a drop of 11 percentage points on last year.

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