TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR, 國防安全研究院) released a survey on Wednesday (Oct. 9) showing that more than 70% of respondents believe the U.S. would indirectly assist Taiwan if China invades. Of these, 52.6% think the U.S. would send troops to Taiwan to help with defense.
The survey also highlighted that 63.9% of respondents consider "China's territorial ambitions" a "serious threat," with 24.3% believing the People's Liberation Army could attack Taiwan within five years. While 67.8% expressed willingness to fight for Taiwan's defense, only 47.5% have confidence in the military's defensive capabilities.
More than 70% of those surveyed expect the U.S. to "airlift food or medical supplies to Taiwan" and impose "economic and diplomatic sanctions on China." Assistant researcher Lee Kuan-chen (李冠成) noted that the results reflect a belief in indirect U.S. assistance but reservations about direct military intervention in a Taiwan Strait conflict.
INDSR Chief Executive Officer Lee Wen-chung (李文忠) attributed the lack of confidence in direct U.S. military involvement to America's strategic ambiguity. He suggested Taiwan learn from European experiences, advocating for a grand coalition government to resolve party differences and bolster defense preparations.
The telephone survey targeted Taiwanese residents aged 18 and above, completing 1,214 samples with a maximum sampling error of plus or minus 2.81%.