64% of Americans Say Taiwan Should Be Recognized as an Independent Country

Voter Poll... "Substantial Diplomatic Relations with Taiwan Despite China's Backlash"

A survey found that two out of three Americans recognize Taiwan as an independent country.

On the 1st, Taiwan's Taiwan News reported the results of a recent survey conducted by the American polling agency Rasmussen Reports, which surveyed over 1,000 American voters.

In this survey, 64% of respondents answered "agree" to the question, "Should the United States recognize Taiwan as an independent country separate from China?" 22% answered "don't know," and only 14% responded "disagree."

Regarding the question, "Is it likely that China will invade Taiwan within the next few years?" the majority of respondents also answered "yes (agree)."

However, opinions were divided on the question, "Should the United States use military force to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?" 37% of respondents said "support," while 31% said "oppose," and 32% said "don't know."

The survey was conducted from June 20 to 22 among 1,046 American voters via telephone and online methods. The margin of error is ±3% at a 95% confidence level.

Taiwan's national flag
Photo by Central News Agency, Taiwan

After establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1979, the United States severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in accordance with China's demand to "recognize only one China." However, the U.S. has maintained substantive diplomatic relations with Taiwan based on the Taiwan Relations Act. The Taiwan Relations Act stipulates the provision of defensive weapons to maintain Taiwan's self-defense capabilities and allows high-ranking Taiwanese officials to visit the U.S.

Recently, the U.S. approved arms sales and supply support to Taiwan worth $440 million (approximately 580.6 billion KRW). This is the tenth large-scale arms sale to Taiwan since the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration.

U.S. authorities emphasized, "This arms sale complies with the Taiwan Relations Act," adding, "Supporting Taiwan's ongoing military modernization and maintaining credible defense capabilities improves Taiwan's security and helps maintain regional political stability, military balance, and economic development, which aligns with U.S. foreign policy and national security goals."

Earlier, Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives submitted a resolution on January 25 urging the U.S. administration to recognize Taiwan as an independent country and establish official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Representative Tom Tiffany (Wisconsin) stated, "It is time for the U.S. government to acknowledge the reality of 'independent Taiwan,' which has been denied for decades," and pointed out, "Recognizing Taiwan as an independent country separate from the communist regime of China is overdue."

For China, severing ties between the U.S. and Taiwan and establishing a pro-China government in Taiwan are urgent tasks. China is trying to break Taiwan's will for independence by stimulating security concerns through economic, diplomatic, and military pressure. Especially, since May 2016, when Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party took office as Taiwan's president, the Communist Party leadership led by Chinese President Xi Jinping has cut off official relations with Taiwan and applied intense military pressure on Taiwan.

In early April, the People's Liberation Army of China conducted large-scale military exercises resembling "simulated war" targeting Taiwan, using the meeting between President Tsai and Kevin McCarthy, the third-ranking U.S. official in power, as a pretext.

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