Despite Pressure from China, 60% of Taiwanese "Do Not Fear Domino Effect of Severing Diplomatic Ties"

One in Three Taiwanese "Worried About Diplomatic Isolation"

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen [Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Amid Nicaragua in Latin America recently announcing the severance of diplomatic ties with Taiwan, more than three out of five Taiwanese do not appear to fear a 'diplomatic severance domino effect.'

According to local media such as Liberty Times on the 29th, the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF) revealed in its latest poll on 'New Trends in Taiwanese Public Opinion After Four National Referendums in 2021' that this was the case.

In a telephone survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation on the 20th and 21st targeting 1,069 adults aged 18 and over, 60.1% of respondents indicated they were not worried about the gradual decrease in Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

The proportion of respondents not concerned about the decline in diplomatic allies has steadily increased from 47.6% in 2017 and 52.9% in 2019 to the current survey. Conversely, the percentage of those worried about the decrease has continuously declined since 46.6% in 2017, reaching only 32.5% in this survey.

The foundation analyzed, "This shows that most Taiwanese are becoming accustomed to the trend of decreasing diplomatic allies and the overlapping occurrences of diplomatic severances."

However, one in three Taiwanese still express concern about Taiwan's diplomatic isolation. During the Ma Ying-jeou Kuomintang administration, Taiwan maintained diplomatic relations with 22 countries, but after the pro-independence Tsai Ing-wen Democratic Progressive Party administration took office in 2016, eight countries declared severance of ties with Taiwan and aligned with China.

Most of Taiwan's diplomatic allies are small countries located in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. China is encouraging these countries to sever ties with Taiwan by promising aid.

Regarding the Democratic Progressive Party government's handling of cross-Strait (China and Taiwan) relations, 44% of Taiwanese expressed satisfaction, while 43.3% responded they were not satisfied. The foundation stated, "Opinions on the government's handling are seriously divided," adding, "This is a new warning message worth paying attention to."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.