A majority of people surveyed in 14 countries across Europe and North America would favor diplomatic and economic sanctions on China over direct military involvement if it attacked Taiwan, a survey conducted by US and German organizations showed.
“Regarding China, most respondents support a tougher approach by their country toward Beijing, but in the scenario of an invasion of Taiwan there is no appetite for sending arms or troops to the island,” the Washington-based German Marshall Fund and Germany’s Bertelsmann Foundation said in the foreword of their survey findings, released on Thursday.
The survey was conducted in late June and early July, before China in August launched nearly a week of intensive live-fire military drills in maritime areas encircling Taiwan.
The “Transatlantic Trends” survey, the third of its kind conducted since 2020, was carried out by the two organizations to gauge public opinion regarding geopolitical challenges facing transatlantic nations.
China’s growing global assertiveness has been among the issues covered in its surveys, although this year was the first time that a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan was included.
The 14 countries surveyed this year were Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the UK and the US, with about 1,500 people in each country interviewed.
Across countries and policy areas, a plurality of respondents supported a tougher approach toward China, either unilaterally or with partners, except when it comes to dealing with new technology, where respondents showed a preference for more cooperation, the survey showed.
The respondents most in favor of a tough approach toward China were British, French, Canadian, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese and Spanish, while support for cooperation with China is highest in Turkey, Lithuania and Romania, the poll showed.
About half of the respondents in Spain, Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands, France, the UK and Germany would be willing to accept the economic costs of tougher approaches toward China.
Asked about a potential attack on Taiwan, respondents in all 14 countries said that sanctions and diplomatic actions would be preferable to sending arms or troops to Taiwan.
About 35 percent of respondents supported only diplomatic measures, 32 percent backed economic sanctions, while 4 percent supported sending arms, and 2 percent supported sending troops to aid Taiwan. Another 12 percent said to take no action.
The most support for sending arms or troops to support Taiwan in the event of an attack was from US respondents, at 8 percent and 7 percent respectively.
Among the US’ closest allies in Europe, sending arms or troops was supported by 5 percent and 3 percent respectively in the UK, and 3 percent and 2 percent respectively in France.
DEFENSE: The National Security Bureau promised to expand communication and intelligence cooperation with global partners and enhance its strategic analytical skills China has not only increased military exercises and “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan this year, but also continues to recruit military personnel for espionage, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday in a report to the Legislative Yuan. The bureau submitted the report ahead of NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign and National Defense Committee today. Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “Joint Sword-2024A and B” military exercises targeting Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the bureau said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace 3,070 times last year, up about
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
STRICTER ENFORCEMENT: Taipei authorities warned against drunk cycling after a sharp rise in riding under the influence, urging greater public awareness of its illegality Taipei authorities have issued a public warning urging people not to ride bicycles after consuming alcohol, following a sharp rise in riding under the influence (DUI) cases involving bicycles. Five hundred and seven people were charged with DUI last year while riding YouBikes, personal bicycles, or other self-propelled two-wheelers — a fourfold increase from the previous year, data released by the Taipei Police Department’s Traffic Division showed. Of these, 33 cases were considered severe enough to be prosecuted under “offenses against public safety,” the data showed. Under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), bicycles — including YouBikes and other
New Party Deputy Secretary-General You Chih-pin (游智彬) this morning went to the National Immigration Agency (NIA) to “turn himself in” after being notified that he had failed to provide proof of having renounced his Chinese household registration. He was one of more than 10,000 naturalized Taiwanese citizens from China who were informed by the NIA that their Taiwanese citizenship might be revoked if they fail to provide the proof in three months, people familiar with the matter said. You said he has proof that he had renounced his Chinese household registration and demanded the NIA provide proof that he still had Chinese
RSS