Japanese are more likely to view China as a major threat than Taiwanese, although both sides agree that Beijing’s power and influence are the most concerning geopolitical hazard, a Pew Research Center poll showed on Tuesday.
From June 2 to Sept. 17, Pew researchers polled respondents in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong on perceived threats posed by China, the US, Russia and North Korea.
China’s power and influence was considered the greatest threat above North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, or US or Russian influence, the report said.
Japanese respondents showed the most concern over China, with 76 percent calling it a “major threat” compared with 66 percent in Taiwan and 64 percent in South Korea, it said.
In Hong Kong the rate was 48 percent, with 29 percent not considering Chinese influence a threat, it said.
This year’s figure among Japanese is comparable to the 74 percent recorded during tensions in waters west of Japan in 2013, Pew said, but added that respondents in South Korea were less skeptical of China than they were a decade ago, when 76 percent said its influence posed a major threat.
Views of China’s threat level in Taiwan correlated with age and party affiliation, researchers said.
People younger than 35 in Taiwan and Hong Kong were more likely to say China as a major threat, the report said.
Supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) were also more likely to think so at 78 percent than Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supporters at 59 percent, it said.
Japanese and South Korea respondents named North Korea’s nuclear weapons program as a major threat at rates of 73 and 65 percent respectively, while the figure was only 33 percent in Taiwan, it added.
In Japan, 71 percent of respondents named Russian influence as a major threat, while the figure was under half in the other regions, it said.
Only Japan had a majority who considered US power and influence to be a major threat at 53 percent, compared with 45 percent in Taiwan and South Korea, and 37 percent in Hong Kong, although 40 percent of Hong Kong respondents considered it a “minor threat,” the poll showed.
KMT supporters were more likely to view the US as a major threat at 63 percent, compared with 34 percent of DPP supporters, the report said.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting