Japanese citizens remain split over the country’s potential military response if China were to attack Taiwan, a recent poll has shown.
According to the survey by Kyodo news agency, 48.8 percent of respondents support exercising Japan’s right to collective self-defense in such a scenario, while 44.2 percent oppose it.
The same poll shows 60.4 percent backing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s plan to increase Japan’s defense spending.
Prime Minister Takaichi aims to accelerate Japan’s military buildup to reach the 2 percent of GDP defense spending target by the end of the current fiscal year.
In 2022, the country set a 2 percent goal as part of a five-year, 43-trillion-yen ($285 billion) package, shifting from its post-World War II practice of limiting defense budgets to around 1 percent of GDP.
Regional Tensions
The survey comes amid growing regional tensions, with China continuing military drills near Taiwan and stepping up political and military pressure on the island, which Beijing claims as its territory.
In response, Taipei has strengthened its defense posture and warned of potential coercive or military actions from Beijing.
Meanwhile, Japan is closely monitoring developments in the Taiwan Strait, given the island’s proximity of about 110 kilometers (70 miles) to its territory.
Earlier this month, Takaichi warned that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could represent a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially prompting a military response.
Beijing criticized the Japanese prime minister’s comments, stating it “will by no means tolerate” them, and issued a travel advisory for Chinese citizens planning to visit Japan.
