3. The poll also captures important shifts in attitudes toward the US. Support for the alliance remains solid, but concerns about US interference and economic coercion are rising. Australians are signalling a more complex and sceptical reading of our principal security partner.

2. Concern about China remains the dominant public mood, but the intensity of that concern has generally eased. Australians are still wary across every aspect of the relationship, yet they’re also increasingly confident that risks can be managed alongside engagement.

1. China policy is beginning to matter at the ballot box. The share of voters who say the government’s handling of China influenced their vote jumped 10 points between the 2022 and 2025 elections. Those who said it had no impact dropped sharply.

Based on a nationally representative sample of 2,045 adults, this year’s findings tell an interesting story. A quick summary of the top three points👇

Australia is right to object to the broad and extraterritorial reach of Hong Kong’s national security laws. When open discussion and democratic expression are treated as threats, it strikes at the freedoms that sustain open societies

Fair - term not being used in the formal sense but rather more broadly to include both the Liberals and Nationals as despite the Nats sitting on the crossbench, they’d indicated they’ll continue to work closely with the Libs on key issues. Appreciate using that specific term muddies things though

Although she has never held a foreign affairs portfolio, Ley’s public record reveals a consistent, if evolving, approach to China policy, blending support for economic engagement with a hardening stance on national security

Full report: bit.ly/4jFerpo

This year’s survey was conducted from January 3 2025 to February 15 2025, straddling Trump's inauguration.