A majority of the US public supports defending Taiwan if China invades, according to a US think tank poll released on Thursday.
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey, conducted by US research firm Ipsos, showed that 52 percent of the US public support using US troops to defend Taiwan if China invades, the highest level of support recorded since the survey first included the question in 1982.
Sixty percent of Republicans surveyed favored the use of US troops to defend Taiwan, compared with 50 percent of Democrats and 49 percent of independents, the poll showed.
Photo: Reuters
The survey found that 53 percent of Americans support signing a formal alliance with Taiwan, while 46 percent believe in explicitly committing to defend Taiwan if China invades, it said.
The poll showed that 69 percent of the US public believes that the US should recognize Taiwan as an independent country, 65 percent agree that Washington should help Taiwan join international organizations and 57 percent favor the US signing a free-trade agreement with Taiwan.
The US is divided over arms sales to Taiwan, with 50 percent of the public supporting the sale of arms and military equipment to the country, while 47 percent said they were against it, the poll showed.
“Distrust of China is a significant factor in US public support for Taiwan,” the council said.
It said that “US officials often refer to Taiwan as a valued partner in the region,” adding that “the public’s views are broadly similar.”
The poll showed that 30 percent of the US public see Taiwan as an ally or necessary partner, while 32 percent see China as a rival and 29 percent see it as an adversary.
The survey, conducted from July 7 to July 26, had 2,086 valid responses from adults living in the US with a margin of error of 2.33 percentage points.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from