Majority of Chinese public against using force on Taiwan: Survey

A recent survey conducted by The Carter Centre and Emory University in Atlanta, revealed that the majority of the Chinese population is against using force to unify Taiwan with China.

According to the report titled "Sovereignty, Security, and US-China Relations : Chinese Public Opinion ," released on Wednesday, 55.1% of respondents agreed or somewhat agreed that force should never be used to resolve the Taiwan issue. In contrast, 24.5% expressed strong or moderate disagreement with that view. When questioned about the timeframe for the potential coercive action to achieve unification with the island nation as pledged by Chinese leadership, the most frequent response was within 5 years (33.5%).

In late summer 2024, The Carter Center’s China Focus initiative collaborated with faculty from Emory University’s Department of Political Science on a poll of Chinese public opinion on a host of international relations issues in Asia.

The survey finds, while less than a quarter (23.5%) of Chinese populations holds a favorable view of the US, a larger opinion (69.6%) tends to be that friendly and peaceful relations with America are necessary for China’s continued prosperity and economic growth.

These findings indicate a possible broader acceptance for a peaceful solution out of current bilateral tensions, but it also shows strong public support for alliances, especially Russia and Vladimir Putin, which could add to the complications of any such efforts.

A significant majority of the Chinese public (66.1%) believes China should maintain its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while an even larger portion (80%), trusts that Vladimir Putin will honor China’s sovereignty and national interests. While around 81.1% of people believe that Southeast Asian countries should respect China’s sovereignty over the South China Sea.

Along with it, the response to country specific questions across Asia reflect considerable support for coercive military actions as an extended tool of international relations, suggesting the door of a new cold war is ajar. The Chinese public doesn’t desire a full fledged war, instead as this survey shows there is backing in the country for the action which would translate into classic Chinese tactics of salami slicing.