Australians Favor Ties with China Over the US Amid Changing Global Perceptions

According to new research from the Washington-based Pew Research Centre, many Australians are leaning towards prioritizing strong economic relationships with China over those with the United States. This shift in opinion reflects a significant increase from 39 percent in 2021 to 53 percent currently, while support for strengthening ties with the US has dropped from 52 percent to 42 percent during the same period. Although economic preferences are shifting, Australians maintain largely negative sentiments towards China, with 76 percent expressing unfavorable views of the country and only 23 percent viewing it positively. Furthermore, trust in Chinese President Xi Jinping is quite low, with only 17 percent of Australians feeling confident in his ability to manage global affairs.

The Pew report notes that this trend isn't unique to Australia; across a range of countries surveyed, perceptions of the US have significantly declined. For instance, in a group of high-income nations, favorability towards the US dropped from 51 percent to 35 percent year-on-year, while favorable views of China increased from 23 percent to 32 percent. Analysts suggest that these changes may stem from a perceived decrease in US reliability as a partner, particularly under Trump's administration.

In the context of the global economy, despite some signs of a slowdown, the Chinese economy has shown resilience, reporting a 5.2 percent growth rate for the last quarter. This growth is supported by a surge in exports and a rebound in trade due to resumed discussions between the US and China. However, concerns persist regarding domestic demand and long-term economic challenges, such as declining population and property prices, which could hinder sustained growth. Chinese authorities are maintaining ambitious growth targets, but risks from potential trade tariffs and economic uncertainties loom large on the horizon.