In electorates with high numbers of Chinese and Muslim voters, it is time for a reckoning with Labor’s AUKUS policy.

A 2024 poll sheds light on the persistent anti-Chinese sentiment in Australia, with findings that suggest the AUKUS policy is playing a significant role in maintaining this atmosphere, despite the Labor government’s more “restrained” public rhetoric on China.

Published by Professor Wanning Sun at the University of Technology Sydney’s Australian Centre for Research in International Affairs (UTS:ACRI), the UTS:ACRI/BIDA Poll 2024 reveals that a troubling proportion of Australians continue to view Chinese-Australians with suspicion and fear.

One striking statistic from the study shows that four in 10 Australians believe Chinese-Australians could be ‘mobilised’ by Beijing to undermine Australia’s interests and social cohesion. Alarmingly, this figure has remained consistent for three years running.

For many Chinese-Australians, this mistrust is felt acutely. A 2023 survey of nearly 700 first-generation migrants from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) published in the UTS:ACRI report First Generation PRC Migrants and Social Cohesion revealed deep concerns within this community. Seven in 10 respondents reported that Australia’s English-language media often portray them as suspects, threatening national security.

Many respondents expressed that, despite the diverse range of political opinions among them, they feel increasingly mistrusted and misinterpreted in the public eye—a sentiment that has intensified in recent years.

Perhaps most alarmingly, 91 percent of respondents expressed concern about their safety and future in the event of an escalating conflict with the PRC. This widespread anxiety underscores the vulnerability felt by many in the Chinese-Australian community, particularly in the context of Australia’s growing alignment with US-led military strategies like AUKUS.

Despite........

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