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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