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

An Australian flag near the Chinese embassy in Canberra. A Lowy Institute poll has found 74% of Australians think the country’s alliance with the US makes it more likely Australia would be drawn into a war in Asia. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

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.