That finding comes in an annual survey of attitudes on global issues by the policy research and advocacy group, the Lowy Institute.
It shows Australia's alliance with the US is rating at its lowest level in eight years.
The Lowy Institute says the most surprising outcome of its 12th poll is a shift in attitudes towards the two countries regarded as Australia's main international partners.
It asked respondents to rate which of Australia's relationships they see as more important - the United States or China.
Two years ago the US held a comfortable lead with 50 per cent, compared to the 37 per cent who preferenced China.
This time, though, the score has leveled at 43 per cent each.
Polling director Alex Oliver says perceptions of Australia's relationship with the U-S are at their lowest point in eight years.
"The last time we saw results this low was towards the end of the George W Bush presidency. I think a similar set of circumstances is in play this time. I think Australians are quite anxious the prospect of a Donald Trump (presidency). Australians are overwhelmingly Clinton supporters - nearly 80 per cent of them think that Hillary Clinton should be president. More than 80 per cent of them think that Hillary Clinton would do a better job of managing the US foreign policy. Importantly, around six in 10 Australians would be less likely to support Australia in any sort of military activity in cooperation with a United States under Donald Trump."
Alex Oliver says a growth in respondents who see the relationship with China as more significant is influenced, in great part, by the economic importance of Australia's largest trading partner.
Ms Oliver says the study also revealed complexities in attitudes towards China.
"The negative influences are things like China's human rights record, its system of government, its foreign investment in Australia. Military activities in our region are seen by almost 8 in 10 as a negative. On the plus side are China's people, China's culture and history, and China's very impressive economic growth are seen as positives in the relationship. You could say it's a friend, but it's a friend with some pretty serious reservations. So much so that three-quarters of Australians think that we should be conducting freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea in order to ensure or to counter-balance China's increased assertiveness in the South China Sea. So it's a complicated relationship, as it always is whenever we ask questions about China."
The Lowy Institute says China continues to be seen as Australia's 'best friend in Asia'.
The portion of respondents who share this view has increased since 2014, as has the number of those who gave Indonesia or India the top position.
By comparison, Australia's second-largest trading partner, Japan, has dropped back on the scale, together with South Korea.
Europe, according 90 per cent of those surveyed, remains important to Australia, while just under half see it as being of decreasing importance.
In a separate category, still on Australia's relations with the world, there was the question of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's suitability for the role of United Nations Secretary General.
Mr Rudd hasn't formally nominated to succeed Ban-Ki Moon, but there's been speculation he could join the race.
Alex Oliver says respondents are divided about how well he could do.
"We rate him quite highly in the way that he handled foreign policy. We asked a new question this year seeking Australians' views on how various prime ministers have handled Australian foreign policy. Of the seven living prime ministers, Kevin Rudd was actually regarded quite highly on the way he handled foreign policy. John Howard was by far the top. Tony Abbott was down the bottom. But that appreciation of his foreign policy performance on behalf of Australia doesn't translate into support for his Secretary-General candidacy. It's about a 50-50 split. Australians are very much undecided on whether he would make a good Secretary-General."
For the 2016 poll the Lowy Institute conducted 1202 phone interviews with a sample, it says, designed to be nationally representative of Australians over 18 years of age.
Other areas covered by the survey include climate change, domestic politics, terrorism and security, and immigration and refugees.
