Poll: US tariffs worry Australians more than China military expansion
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A Newspoll revealed that more Australians are worried about US tariffs under the Trump administration than about China’s military expansion.
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People cross a street in Melbourne on October 11, 2021, during a lockdown against COVID-19 (William West/ AFP)
Australians are more anxious about the Trump administration’s protectionist trade policies than about China’s military buildup in the Asia-Pacific, according to a new survey.
A Newspoll survey published Monday in The Australian found that 42% of respondents named US tariffs as their top concern, compared with 37% who identified China’s strategic threat as their biggest worry. Another 21% said neither issue concerned them.
The poll was conducted between August 11 and 14 and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Although Australia received the minimum 10% levy on its exports to the US, it remains vulnerable to sector-specific tariffs, including on industries such as pharmaceuticals. As a heavily export-dependent economy, Australia also risks being hit by secondary effects of US tariffs, particularly if tensions extend to import duties involving its largest trading partner, China.
University-educated voters expressed greater concern about US tariffs compared with China's military development. Among voters without university education, opinion was more evenly divided, according to the survey.
Read more: Trump slaps trade partners, Mexico, EU, with 30% tariffs from Aug. 1
Albanese’s visit to China focused on trade, not security tensions
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese completed a six-day visit to China in July, where he held talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing. The visit centered on strengthening trade and business relations, while largely avoiding contentious issues such as US-China competition, Taiwan, and Beijing’s regional military assertiveness.
The same Newspoll indicated that Albanese’s Labor Party is leading the center-right coalition 56% to 44%, improving slightly on the May 2023 election results that delivered Labor 94 seats in the 150-member parliament. The prime minister’s net satisfaction rating also turned positive for the first time since September 2023.
