A survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense-run Institute of National Defense showed overwhelming support among Taiwanese and Americans for maintaining the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait.
However, the poll also showed that Taiwanese and Americans differ in their stances on US military intervention in case of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, with support for such an action relatively lower among the latter.
The survey showed that 62 percent of Taiwanese and US nationals believe bilateral relations enhance national security. Additionally, a majority of Taiwanese expect the US to supply Taiwan with food, medical aid and military aid, should China attempt an armed takeover of Taiwan.
Photo: I-Hwa Cheng, AFP
A majority of US citizens also support sending aid to Taiwan in case of a Chinese attack, the survey showed.
Sixty percent of Taiwanese support maintaining the “status quo,” with 34 backing it “indefinitely,” and 26 percent favoring either declaring independence or unifying with China at a later date, depending on the conditions.
The poll showed that 51 percent of Americans support maintaining the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait and do not favor Taiwanese independence or unification with China.
Only 27 percent of Taiwanese support declaring independence and 7 percent back unification with China, it said.
In addition, 51 percent of Americans believe the US should encourage Taiwan to maintain the “status quo” instead of promoting independence or unification, while 36 percent support promoting Taiwanese independence even if it increases the risks of conflict with China.
The joint report showed that while Taiwanese and Americans recognize that cross-strait relations affect national security, they differ on potential US response in case of a Taiwan Strait crisis.
The majority of Taiwanese respondents, or 53 percent, believe that the US would dispatch military forces to assist Taiwan, but only 36 percent of US respondents support such measures.
The joint report showed that, in general, Taiwanese respondents are more worried about China using military drills and “gray area” tactics to threaten Taiwan’s safety and sovereignty, instead of the possibility of a full-blown military invasion over a short period.
Maintaining the “status quo” is the foundation for deepening US-Taiwan diplomatic, economic and military collaborations, said the report’s authors: Craig Kafura, Chicago Council on Global Affairs assistant director for public opinion and foreign policy; Dina Smeltz, senior public opinion and foreign policy fellow at the council; , and Lee Kuan-chen (李冠成) and Christina Chen (方琮嬿), assistant researchers at the National Defense and Security Research Division of Chinese Politics, Military and Warfighting Concepts.
The discrepancy between Taiwanese expectations of a US military intervention and US nationals’ support for such an act highlights the need for both sides to step up mutual strategic communications to avoid discord or a misinterpretation of intentions during a crisis, the report said.
Taiwan and the US should continue their dialogue through non-official channels and establish a consensus on the reality of the situation on the ground and tactical limitations to facilitate effective joint responses in times of crisis, it said.
The analysis was based on the 2024 Chicago Council Survey of the US public on foreign policy, an annual project of the Lester Crown Center on US Foreign Policy, conducted from June 21 to July 1, and the institute’s Taiwan National Defense Surveys, conducted from Sept. 11 to 16.
The US survey interviewed 2,106 adults, with a margin of error of 2.3 percent, while the Taiwanese survey, conducted via telephone, gathered 1,214 valid samples, with a margin of error of 2.81 percent.
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of