More than 80% of Taiwanese define China's actions in the so-called “gray zone“ as a serious threat to national security, according to a survey by the Taiwan Inspiration Association.
The association published the results of its latest survey, according to which 82.3% of respondents consider the threat serious. Of these, 47.7% define it as “very serious“. At the same time, 17.6% do not consider these actions a serious threat.
The concern is observed among supporters of various political parties. A total of 95% of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters, 69% of Kuomintang (KMT) supporters and 71% of Taiwan People's Party (TPP) supporters said the actions posed a serious threat.
Tunghai University political science professor Chiu Shi-yi said the results reflected a “consensus“ in Taiwan regarding perceptions of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
The survey also found that 68.8% of respondents supported increasing defense spending, with 39.4% expressing strong support.
In August, the Taiwanese government proposed a record defense budget of NT$1.12 trillion (US$35.15 billion) for 2027.
According to the survey, 67.3% of respondents believed that an increased military presence by the United States and other democratic countries in the Taiwan Strait would contribute to security, with 28.3% saying it would help “a lot”.
Fan Shi-ping, a professor of East Asian studies at National Taiwan Normal University, said that despite political divisions, public opinion generally remained supportive of national security and opposing infiltration. of the Chinese Communist Party.
The survey was conducted among Taiwanese residents aged 20 and over nationwide. 1,201 valid responses were collected from September 10 to 15.