Essential Research: coronavirus and attitudes to China

A major souring in Australians’ attitudes to China but little change on coronavirus (at least since last week), according to the latest Essential poll.

Another week, another Essential Research coronavirus poll — this one focusing on attitudes to China, which have notably soured. As related by The Guardian, respondents were asked if they had a favourable or unfavourable view of China’s influences on Australian life, which produced a net rating of minus 30% on trade, compared with plus 1% last August, and a net rating of minus 40% for Chinese business operating in Australia, down from minus 21%. There were also scores of minus 26% for defence, minus 36% for politics and minus 9% for culture. Conversely, the United States scored net positive scores, albeit that these were quite a lot bigger for defence (plus 29%), business (plus 15%) and trade (plus 14%) than politics (plus 2%) and culture (plus 7%).

Asked which relationship would be more beneficial to strengthen, 42% favoured the US and 18% China, compared with 38% and 28% last August. Respondents had two bob each way on trade in that 53% thought Australia “needs to do all it can to avoid a trade war with China”, with 17% opposed, but 48% felt Australia should impose retaliatory tariffs, with 22% opposed. The poll found “more than half” believe China’s trade sanctions against Australia were motivated by the government’s call for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

The poll continued its weekly suite of questions on coronavirus, recording no change on the government’s handling of the crisis, which was rated positively by 73% and negatively by 11%. Levels of concern little changed on last week (79% either very or quite concerned, down one, and 21% either not at all or not that concerned, up one). A divide appears to be opening on restrictions, with higher responses for both lifting them as soon as possible (up five to 14%) and holding off (up two to 27%). The poll was conducted Thursday to Sunday from a sample of 1087; a full report should be published later today.

Note that below this post is a dedicated thread for the Eden-Monaro by-election, which you are encouraged to use if you have something specific to say on that subject.

UPDATE: Full report here.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

2,091 comments on “Essential Research: coronavirus and attitudes to China”

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  1. Pegasus @ #96 Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 – 7:11 am

    guytaur

    I don’t understand why bringing up facts to their attention, viz Andrews has been the only premier to sign up to China’s BRI, the federal coalition has not, and Andrews has been criticised by Labor politicians, both state and federal, such as Pallas, Kitching and Palaszczuk amongst others, sets them off baying and spitting chips.

    (Rheorical question).

    When I responded to those “facts” you had no comment.

    Doesn’t sound like you were looking for a discussion.

  2. Cud
    Belated response to your post about restaurants doing outside service.
    Problem is, as winter approaches, fewer people will want to be outside.

    Gladys has failed to provide any leadership on protection from infection. Just telling people to do the right thing is, frankly, useless.
    It really is worrying.

  3. My opinion on China has not changed one little bit from what it was before COVID-19 existed. This is not their fault, it is just nature. Humans are not all powerful and we have been given a sobering reminder of that. China has a lot to answer for when it comes to human rights abuses but blaming the country for C19 is just racist bullshit.

    A few days ago I heard one of the Liberals (can’t remember her name right now) banging on about how China should be paying reparations for this. For what? Being human? If you want to talk about reparations, how about we talk about all the viruses and diseases that were brought to Australia and inflicted on First Australians when their land was invaded by the English? That is the kind of willfully malicious situation that calls for reparations – the same kind of situation that the racist flogs in the Coalition like to pretend never happened.

  4. Andrews has done very well fighting the Libs and their many clones. It’s particularly gratifying to see the LibKin taking up the LibNat cause. This is their historical purpose – one that suits their class status. Together with the other ratbags of Australian politics, LibNation, they’re running interference for Morrison again in the post-lockdown phase.

  5. Vogon Poet

    Rakali
    Given the record unemployment numbers, Job Taker
    ————-
    Yes, that’s better.

    Is this all that Marketers do? Make up meaningless slogans.

    Its so much easier than actually doing anything.

  6. @thetopjob tweets

    Australia has an estimated skills shortage of 60 billion tradies.
    *this figure does not take into consideration the use of fake tradies

  7. Guytaur

    “I like it. Serf maker sums it up very well.”

    When you consider what the creators of JobMaker were doing when Work Choices was conceived, you realise the apple does not fall far from the tree. They are the same people, or their former advisors, being pushed by the same business lobby groups.

    As usual, Greg Jericho sums up why it is terrible policy pretty well. (They don’t let him write for the ABC any more.)
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-16/jericho-10-years-on,-the-spirit-of-workchoices-still-lives/7248368

  8. guytaur

    It’s a futile effort. It will never change. Some posters are completely intolerant and spiteful about anyone who comes here with a different world view and dares to remain.

    Non-Laborites who come to this blog are subjected to rants every day, 24/7. The railing, shaking of fists and rending of garments is always on display.

    Likewise, lurkers who come here daily can read bile from a minority of posters who belong to the dominant Labor clique.

    It will never change.

  9. Rakali says:
    Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 9:09 am
    It was JobSeeker, JobKeeper, JobMaker then it’ll be JobFaker.

    Followed by JobIncinerator, JobDisintegrator and JobVapouriser.

  11. Pegasus

    Hope lives eternally.

    Meanwhile the Greens and scientists are winning the political debate.

    The LNP’s position as outlined by Professor Finkel on QandA last night was eye opening.
    Gas as a transition fuel to hydrogen.

    Embracing Australia “exporting sunshine” and really pushing renewables.
    The only problem being pushing gas as a renewable energy is Angus Taylor’s position. It is however a big change from lets mine coal and open new coal fired power stations.

  12. Firefox

    Using geographical names for viruses is probably undesirable though it’s not in itself “racist”.

    I’m sure you don’t refer to the Kansas Influenza as the Spanish Influenza!

  13. NT voters will go to the polls with no budget outlook. An economist says that’s ‘unusual and worrying’

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-26/nt-voters-in-the-dark-without-budget-outlook-before-election/12284314

    This year’s Northern Territory budget — which was to be handed down this month — has been delayed until after the Federal Government delivers its rescheduled budget in October.

    But Labor also used the last emergency session of Parliament to scrap the legal requirement for NT Treasury to produce forecasts of income and debt levels over the forward estimates, to be published before voters go to the polls.

    Former ANZ chief economist and GST specialist Saul Eslake said that, to him, the Northern Territory Government’s removal of the legislated requirement for a pre-election fiscal outlook was surprising.

    “That’s an unusual step,” he said.

    “And it sets a worrying precedent for other governments elsewhere in the country, at different points in time in the future, who also might want to go to the polls while keeping voters in the dark.”

  15. Firefix
    Naming a virus after the location that it first appears isn’t the same as blaming anyone there for it.

  16. Paul Karp
    ✔
    @Paul_Karp
    Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has delayed ACCC inquiries into home loans (now due 30 November) and water markets in the Murray Darling basin (interim report now due 30 June) #auspol

  19. guytaur

    You sum up why the nomenclature changed from location names to names like Covid19.

    —————

    Indeed, and very opportune it is too for President Xi and his Kameraden. 🙂

  20. Mexican

    The naming of viruses changed from location names to specifically avoid racism. After study.

    Recognising this and labelling the deliberate use of place names by Trump as racist is not in conflict.

  21. “Using geographical names for viruses is probably undesirable though it’s not in itself “racist”.”

    ***

    Well calling it “The China Virus” or things of that nature is just deliberately provocative when everyone should know it’s proper name by now. COVID-19. Not hard to remember. Don’t want to call it COVID-19? Coronavirus will do too.

    What it’s called is not the only issue. There are plenty of people who seem to think that China either did this deliberately or that they should be held responsible even though it’s just an act of nature.

  22. A closing point on Covid 19 – the response so far has been good. But in caving in to pressures to open up some states too soon, it is in danger of going off the rails (in NSW). Labor needs to oppose this, or it will not be doing its job.
    https://ama.com.au/media/ama-urges-caution-nrl-season-restart

    Finally it occurred to me that the Brits could give Dominic Cummings a title of PM: Puppet Master.

    Have a good day all.

  23. Rakali

    I don’t subscribe to the Chinese invented it in a lab theory promoted by the right.
    So I don’t subscribe to the theory that like the Greens on climate policy the Chinese knew in advance a pandemic would come out of Wuhan.

    I suspect they thought they could contain it in China and not have it spread with draconian measures. What they did not take into account was the secrecy of the state and the suppression of whistleblowers at the local level.

  24. If you knew the origin of these common slang words, you might think twice about using them

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-26/troubling-origin-of-common-slang-words-think-twice/12268132

    Woke

    This is increasingly used as a derogatory term by those on the centre-left (like Obama) after also being ridiculed by the right.

    “This term has been re-appropriated and twisted until it has become toxic and difficult to use in any acceptable way” says Thorne, who likens it to “politically correct”, “snowflake” and “social justice warrior”.

    But its ironic usage is in itself problematic and, as some have pointed out, potential cultural appropriation — because of its black roots.

    Woke began as African American argot for racial justice, later expanding to social justice. It was used unironically by the Black Lives Matter movement, to signify staying alert and being awake to issues of racial and social injustice.

    This is why, when used as a slur by white people, it can feel uncomfortable — privilege affords them the irony.

  26. As I see it, one of the vital talents in international relations is to allow the others (opponents) to “save face”. It’s part of mature negotiation.

    Morrison (and Trump) have no idea how to do this and the rest of us suffer.

  31. Firefox
    “China has a lot to answer for when it comes to human rights abuses but blaming the country for C19 is just racist bullshit.”

    Well, that depends. If Chinese authorities were more concerned with covering up the initial outbreak rather than containing it… then they have a case to answer for. Note that I’m referring to “Chinese authorities” here. The medical doctors at the front line seem to have done their best, but might have been stymied (and even gagged) by the authorities.

  32. Guytaur
    Which is what i have been doing but something tells me you don’t always read through the comments.

  33. guytaur

    Recognising this and labelling the deliberate use of place names by Trump as racist is not in conflict.
    ———
    Of course Trump’s motives are always crude and obvious.

    But again he is likely to have done that to any other country regardless of “race”. If the virus had started in France, I’m sure he would try to deflect his failures by calling it the “French Virus“ or the “Australian Virus”.

    But i know to a certain group of tiresome people politics and everything else seems to be reduced to “race”.

  34. Waverley College student tests positive for Covid
    The ABC is reporting a student at Sydney’s Waverley college, which went back to on-site learning last week, has tested positive for Covid-19. It reports parents have been asked to collect their children from school.

  35. guytaur says:
    Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 9:27 am

    Chomsky: Australia is one of the world’s top 3 climate criminals

    ‘Anyone with open eyes knows we’re facing potential environmental catastrophe that may end organised human life…

    3 states are acting to accelerate the crisis: the US, Brazil, Australia.’

    Yes. This is right. To change this we’d have to change the government here. But this will not happen. The reformist plurality in Australia has been totally wrecked by the LibKin, who ride shotgun for the LibNats. Change will not happen as long as the LibKin campaign against Labor.

    This is the nature of politics here. The LibKin are a force that supports the status quo.

  36. MB
    Covid 19 was first identified in Wuhan because their doctors were alert and wondered about the origin of the pneumonia cases they were seeing.
    In fact, it now appears people in other countries were also suffering contemporaneously, yet doctors there did not identify it at the time ( they have revisited the data now).

    So naming it for the place where its first identified is rather stupid if all that does is allow others to blame that region for creating it, when no such evidence yet exists.

  37. Can Michaelia do anything quietly?

    The employment, skills and small business minister, Michaelia Cash, has quietly authorised a “national communications campaign to support small business”.

    An instrument, which commences today, Tuesday, authorises funding for a campaign to support small businesses affected by Covid-19.

    Paul Karp
    Just how much will taxpayers be charged to be told to come out from under the doona? Unclear at this stage – as this instrument merely authorises spending rather than making an appropriation or awarding a contract.

  38. Kakaru

    Its the problem with not having nuance in the discussion. The racists don’t want that and neither do the conspiracy theorists.

    Its like blaming Donald Trump for the Ruby Princess debacle.

    Much as I think Dutton would like to.

  39. Socrates

    I noticed that Chris Minns was talking about increasing the number of rail services. I put that down as well intentioned. But seriously, he should know that you can’t do that without there being more drivers and that takes time.

  40. lizzie
    “Waverley College student tests positive for Covid
    The ABC is reporting a student at Sydney’s Waverley college, which went back to on-site learning last week, has tested positive for Covid-19. It reports parents have been asked to collect their children from school.”

    And the NRL wants to have crowds of people in stands in this city in a few weeks? Tell them they’re dreaming.

  41. ML
    In this case the virus has an easy to use scientific name but the point i was making is that by using a location name isn’t necessarily racist or blaming the local population for it. The Chinese seem to believe it started in Wuhan but because of its central location then its possible it started elsewhere.

  42. “Waverley College student tests positive for Covid
    The ABC is reporting a student at Sydney’s Waverley college, which went back to on-site learning last week, has tested positive for Covid-19. It reports parents have been asked to collect their children from school.”

    Sadly what I’ve said before on here is proving true. I said that the government needs to be a bit more selective geographically. And of course it had to be waverley which has still had community transmission only recently.

    Will those parents now need to wear masks and put their children in isolation for their own safety?

  43. Bernard Keane
    @BernardKeane
    ·
    8m
    How about journalists don’t publish accounts of a speech to be given the following day unless they get the whole speech and with enough time to do some research to provide readers with context and, if necessary, rebuttal to its claims.
    Otherwise, is it any different to an ad?

  44. Welfare recipients facing five-month delays to exit cashless debit card scheme

    Data shows that of the 859 application lodged since September, only 30 have been accepted

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/26/welfare-recipients-facing-five-month-delays-to-exit-cashless-debit-card-scheme

    A cashless debit card “opt out” scheme introduced last year to allow people to exit the controversial program has been plagued by long delays, leaving participants trapped on income management.
    :::
    The data was provided in response to questions from the Greens senator Rachel Siewert, a long-term critic of the policy, who said she was “very concerned” by the delays.
    :::
    Earlier this month the government extended the trials until the end of year, using special powers granted during the pandemic that allow changes to social security law without the support of parliament.
    :::
    The “opt-out” process was introduced by the government in July last year as a compromise to win Labor’s support for legislation to expand the trials for 12 months.

    It was added to the existing “wellbeing exemption”, which has also been heavily criticised, Guardian Australia reported last year.

    At the time, the deal was criticised by Siewert, who argued the opt-out policy was likely to be unworkable and the trial should instead have been scrapped.

    Labor’s social services spokeswoman, Linda Burney, whose amendment established the “opt out” process, also criticised the long delays, saying they went against the “spirit” of the legislation passed last year.

  45. Thanks BK for the Dawn Patrol.

    Grey old day in Newcastle. Currently about 18℃ – may reach a balmy 19℃

    Miserable day yesterday, although on my big excursion I noticed that dog walkers were still out and about; in particular a lady from about a mile away walking her little scotty dog and another gentleman paired with a you beaut Golden Retriever. How good is that. 🐶

  46. Josh Frydenberg has declined the Covid-19 Senate committee’s invitation to appear in person, offering instead Mathias Cormann as his Senate representative to answer questions about the $60bn jobkeeper bungle.

    Because Cormann can be relied upon to waffle endlessly in response.

  47. And are they now going to test every single kid and the staff and their entire families and trace every single contact of that entire cohort?

  48. “Victoria is opening public schools to prep, grade one and grade two students and VCE students (including year 10 students studying VCE subjects) from today.

    All going well, the remaining year levels will return on June 9.”

  49. @NickRossTech tweets

    I mean, I don’t want to prove your point about relentlessly criticising the #nbn but the facts are all on my side as they always have been. To say NBN succeeded during Covid is moronic. They had to throttle basic video streaming FFS. #auspol

    Check out the thread if you want to see some justifiable ranting.

  50. Morrison bringing those naughty Labor states into line.

    Morrison will use his National Press Club address to put conditions on $1.5 billion in funding to states for the skills sector, such as a uniform price for training costs and basing the number of available course places on industry needs.

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