China as important as US to Australians
More than half of Australians view China as an economic threat.
The Australian National University's foreign policy poll has found that while many people see China's rise as overwhelmingly positive for Australian prosperity, 52 per cent view it as an economic threat.
The poll also found Australians were almost evenly divided on whether the United States or China was more important to the nation's future.
A third of people still believe the US is the most important country for Australia.
However, in a surprise finding a third said China is now more important.
The other third ranked the two countries equally.
ANU politics and international relations expert Dr Jill Sheppard said Australians are "fairly progressive" towards China.
"We're more embracing of China as a neighbour than are citizens of the US for example," she told reporters in Canberra.
More than 65 per cent said China's rise was a positive development for Australia, while only 30 per cent considered it to be a threat military.
The finding that 52 per cent of Australians counted it as a economic threat, was attributed to fears of China buying up local farms and real estate.
The Abbott government needs to explain away those fears, ANU international relations expert Andrew Carr says.
"(To) help people understand that owning large amounts of farmland or houses in western Sydney is not going to give China a national security weapon to use against Australia," Dr Carr said.
The ANU poll also found the ANZUS alliance with the United States was backed by 81 per cent of Australians.
Sixty per cent thought Indonesia had not assisted the fight against people smuggling, and almost 53 per cent said it had not helped combat the terrorism threat.
Meanwhile, support for foreign aid is in decline but still sat at lofty 75 per cent.
Three quarters said aid should be given on humanitarian grounds and not for commercial and political interests.
The finding raised questions on whether Australians will support the Abbott government's policy of economic diplomacy - which links aid to economic objectives.
The telephone poll of 1204 people was conducted in May by the Social Research Centre at ANU.
