People surveyed in the US, Japan, Britain, France and Germany consider China and Taiwan to be two separate and sovereign countries, contrary to China's claims, a Gallup poll said on Thursday.
The survey of 1,500 respondents in each of the five countries showed that 81 percent of Britons and nearly three-quarters of Americans and Japanese view the two countries as separate and sovereign.
Seventy-two percent of German respondents and 66 percent of French respondents held the same view.
Last March, Beijing adopted an "Anti-Secession" Law that legalizes the invasion of Taiwan in the event that Taipei declares or even moves toward a formal state of independence.
Gallup said separate samples of so-called "opinion leaders" in each of the five countries showed a majority of six in 10 respondents viewing China and Taiwan as separate states.
The poll said eight in 10 of the people surveyed in each of the five countries spoke against the Anti-Secession Law, and that China faces global condemnation if it opts for military action against Taiwan.
A majority of respondents in Britain, Japan, Germany and France favor diplomacy over military action in defending Taiwan in a war with China.
In the US, 42 percent favored defending Taiwan through diplomatic means only, while 23 percent favored both diplomacy and military means
Twenty-six percent of Americans preferred to do nothing.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS