Jason Young: Victoria University’s NZ China Research Centre Director on more New Zealanders perceiving China as a threat

A growing number of New Zealanders perceive China as a threat.  

A new report from the Asia New Zealand Foundation surveyed 2,300 locals between November and December, with an additional poll in March.  

It shows New Zealanders' perception of China as a threat rose from 28% to 40% over four months. 

Jason Young, Director of Victoria University’s NZ-China Research Centre, told Mike Hosking the big jump in threat perception happened in March, just after Chinese Navy conducted exercises in the Tasman Sea. 

He says that New Zealand has seen China and its military grow, but its military has always been very far away, and coming into the Tasman changed that.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I've got some new research from the Asia New Zealand Foundation.

(00:02):
More of us are seeing China as the threat. Last
year it's twenty eight percent of us. This year it's forty.
Here's the flip side. China's second only we think to
Japan as a place we need to invest more effort into.
So director of Victoria University's China Research Center, Jason Young's
with us, Jason Morning, Good morning. Perception always interests me.
Could it be something as simple as the Chinese fleet
of cruises coming into the Tasman Sea and US going, oh, yeah,

(00:24):
they look a bit dangerous, and all of a sudden
perception changes.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yeah. I think that's pretty much on the money. So
the mini poll, which is the sort of big jump
in threat perceptions towards China, happened in March, just after
the task force was in the Testman Fleet. And I think,
you know, for New Zealanders that have seen China grow,
seen it become a very powerful country, Senate's military grow,
but its military has always been very far away. Coming

(00:49):
into the Tasman Sea really changes, I think helped you.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
So really nothing's actually changed apart from the headline, and
suddenly the same with America, isn't it. I mean, this
is Trump, isn't it. We think differently of America our
soul because of Trump, don't we.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Well, if you look back to the pole that was done,
the actual survey which was done in November, there was
actually an improvement in perceptions towards China. So the long
term trend was actually looking pretty good for China. There's
still high roughly third one third, one third. Threat perceptions
were up and friendlyiness perceptions were up, and then a
third of people didn't know. But it was really that

(01:22):
much poll that jumped up. And yeah, very similar for Trump.
I think it's no secret that when there's a Trump administration,
New Zealanders are more worried about the United States.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
As far as US dealing or investing with China. Are
we walking in our own minds the same type rope
of government walks, and that is that you know, they
may have a view of the world that we don't
align ourselves with, but there are a very big economy
and we want to slice of that action, thank you
very much.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, I mean it's a very complicated relationship in the
sense that New Zealanders, on all of the surveys have
very low trusts that China will do the right thing
in world affairs. It's down to about forteen percent of
people think that that will and there's also an aversion
to the authoritarian political system in China. But at the
same time, it's seen is very very important because it's
the largest parent Asia, half of the GDP of Asia,

(02:12):
and it's an important trade partner, which is important to
New Zealand interests. And I think that's just the reality
of the situation.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Jason, nice to talk to you, Jason Young, who's director
of Victoria University's New Zealand China Research Center. For more
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