Recent data from a think tank survey shows that 66% of American respondents agree that the United States should require Taiwan to strengthen its own resistance against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) before committing to defend Taiwan, while 34% disagree. Another 30% support the idea of the U.S. protecting Taiwan from CCP invasion at all costs, while 37% oppose this stance.
The Washington-based think tank Defense Priorities commissioned the British opinion and market analysis firm YouGov to conduct a survey on the foreign policy views of 1,000 adult Americans from July 18 to 24, with the results released on August 8.
Defense Priorities noted that the survey aimed to better understand how the public views U.S. handling of contingencies in the Taiwan Strait and events like the conflict in Ukraine, as well as to assess the disconnect between elite and public opinions. The results revealed that the U.S. government’s approach often deviates from the policy preferences of the public.
The survey included questions related to Taiwan, such as whether the U.S. would support or encourage Taiwan’s independence from China, even if it increases the risk of CCP invasion and occupation of Taiwan. The results showed that 59% supported this policy, while 41% did not agree.
When asked about the U.S. deploying troops to defend Taiwan from CCP invasion regardless of the cost and consequences, 18% strongly disagreed, 19% somewhat disagreed, 33% remained neutral, 19% somewhat agreed, and 11% strongly agreed. In other words, 30% of respondents believe that the U.S. should protect Taiwan from CCP invasion at all costs, while 37% oppose this view.
Regarding the importance of avoiding a conflict with China that could escalate into nuclear war over maintaining Taiwan’s political autonomy from Beijing, 44% supported the former view, while 21% disagreed. A detailed breakdown shows that 19% strongly agreed, 25% somewhat agreed, 36% were neutral, 15% somewhat disagreed, and 6% strongly disagreed.
The fourth question asked whether Taiwan’s annual defense spending slightly exceeding 2% of its GDP (approximately $19 billion or about NT$615.5 billion), while the U.S. spends over 3% of its GDP (approximately $860 billion). The question posed was whether the U.S. should request Taiwan to allocate more funds to enhance its military capabilities to deter the CCP as a precondition for any defense commitment from the U.S., to which 66% agreed and 34% disagreed.
Recently, aside from Robert O’Brien, who served as National Security Advisor during the Trump administration, Elbridge Colby, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under Trump, also emphasized the need for Taiwan to increase military spending.
If Trump successfully returns to the White House this year, Colby is considered a frontrunner for a cabinet position. As the election draws nearer, his comments on military matters have become more frequent. Colby also shared the survey results on social media, pointing out that since only 30% of respondents believe the U.S. should protect Taiwan from invasion despite all costs, it is crucial for Taiwan to significantly bolster its military capabilities, with the U.S. focusing on Asia as a viable defense strategy.
He stated that if Taiwan thinks it can get by with just around 2.5% of its GDP on defense, while the U.S. believes it can simultaneously address multiple challenges, “then we are heading for failure.” However, this seems to be the current situation unfolding.
(Source: Central News Agency)