TERRORISM, North Korea’s nuclear threat and possible invasion by China are some of the major international issues of concerns to Australians, says a new poll conducted by a leading think tank.

The 2017 Lowy Institute Poll found that 46 percent of Australians think it is likely China will become a military threat to their country in the next 20 years, an increase of seven percentage points since 2015.

The annual poll, now in its thirteenth year, ascertains the Australian public’s attitudes to issues such as international security, immigration, foreign aid and the environment.

SEE ALSO: Boost to Sino-Australian ties as China launches charm offensive Down Under

In 2017, the Lowy Institute found that only 8 percent of Australians consider China to be Australia’s best friend, however a significant majority of 79 percent see China more as an economic partner than a military threat.

A minority of respondents (34 percent) were in favour of deploying military forces “if China initiated a military conflict with one of its neighbours over disputed islands or territories.”

“When they think about Australia’s relationships in Asia, they see China as Australia’s best friend,” said Dr Michael Fullilove, the institute’s Executive Director.

“When they think about the world, however, Australians are Anglospheric in orientation, and see our best friends as New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom.”

President Trump is now the leading cause of unfavorable feelings toward the United States in Australia, according to @LowyInstitute poll. pic.twitter.com/nqSLx6yhyJ — Aaron Connelly (@ConnellyAL) June 20, 2017

The poll shows that Donald Trump’s presidency has hurt the standing of the US in Australia’s eyes, however that the relationship remains strong.

“Almost half of Australian adults said last year that Australia should distance itself from the United States if someone like Mr Trump were elected,” said Fullilove, “but this year’s poll shows that Australians’ affinity with America and Americans remains intact, and support for the US alliance is rock-solid.

“The presidency of Donald Trump” was ranked by 42 percent of people as a “critical threat” to Australia, ahead of asylum seekers coming to Australia by boat (38 percent) and the foreign policy of China and Russia.

SEE ALSO: Not so ‘off record’: Australia’s PM publicly mocks US President Donald Trump

Less than a third of Australians (27 percent) agreed overall that “Indonesia is a democracy”, a decrease of seven points since 2015, while only one percent said their northern neighbour was Australia’s “best friend.”

Some 78 percent of Australians think globalisation is “mostly good for Australia,” a majority believe that free trade is beneficial, and most believe foreign aid to be “about the right amount” or too much.

They are overwhelmingly supportive of renewable energy.

“Australians are troubled about the direction the world is taking and uncertain of the direction of their own nation,” says the report.

While more than half the population (53 percent) said that the total number of migrants coming to Australia each year is “about right” or “too low”, 48 percent said that asylum seekers in detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru “should never be settled in Australia.”