(CNN) Australians' trust in China has hit a 15-year record low despite the two country's growing demographic and economic ties, a new report by an Australian think tank has found.

The 2019 Lowy Institute Poll, which measures Australians' attitude to other countries, found that only 32% of those surveyed said they trusted China either a "great deal" or "somewhat" to act responsibly in the world.

It was a massive 20-point drop on the results of the 2018 survey, as a trade war ratchets up between China and the US, a close Australian ally.

Lowy Institute research fellow Natasha Kassam said the survey showed a "rapidly declining trust in China and Xi Jinping," which she attributed to cooling relations between Beijing and Canberra.

Read More