Australians’ trust in China has fallen to its lowest level in at least 15 years following a fractious debate about Beijing’s military intentions, influence activities and infrastructure ambitions in the Pacific region, a new poll has found.
The annual Lowy Institute survey found only a third of Australians say they trust China to act responsibly in the world, a 20 percentage point fall from 2018 and the lowest level ever recorded in the think tank’s polling.
Trust in the US has also fallen to a record low of 52 per cent and two-thirds of respondents said President Donald Trump has weakened Australia’s 60-plus-year military alliance with Washington.