Almost three-quarters of Australians think we're allowing too much Chinese investment, while almost half think the Asian nation will be a military threat within 20 years.
But a new poll from the Lowy Institute also found 82 per cent of Australians believe China is more of an economic partner than a threat.
The poll of 1200 adults was run in March and examined Australians' attitudes towards the world.
It found a sharp rise in the proportion of the Australian population who say the Australian government is "allowing too much investment from China".
The poll found 72 per cent of people held that view, up from 56 per cent in 2014.
A quarter of Australians thought the right amount of Chinese investment was allowed, with just two per cent believing there should be more.
The Lowy poll found 46 per cent believe China will become a military threat within 20 years, with most of the people who believe that suggesting Australia will be drawn into a conflict between China and the United States.
"Despite perceptions of the possible threat posed by China, most Australians see it far more as an economic partner than a military threat," the poll report found.
More than eight in 10 Australians now say China is "more of an economic partner", which is three points higher than last year.
About the same number said it was also possible for Australia to have a good relationship with China and a good relationship with the United States at the same time.
China's large influence on the Australian economy was shown, as more than half of those polled believed it was the world's leading economic power, even though its GDP is third behind the United States and the European Union.
Tensions between Australia and China have risen over the past year, over allegations the Asian country was interfering in Australian internal politics.
Chinese ambassador Cheng Jingye gave a speech in Canberra on Tuesday where he called for a better relationship between the countries.
"China never interferes in the internal affairs of other countries, let alone carry out the so-called infiltration of other countries," he said.
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