Most Americans Support Defending Taiwan If China Invades: Poll
A large majority (70%) of Americans would support U.S. military action to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion or blockade, according to a recent survey by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute (RRPFI).
According to the survey released on June 22, three-quarters of Americans (75%) believed a war between China and Taiwan would impact U.S. security and prosperity.
Support for the military defense of Taiwan is strong and bipartisan, with 75% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans expressing support, the survey found.
Some of the top reasons driving respondents to support U.S. military action to defend Taiwan include: Taiwan’s role as the world’s largest producer of semiconductors (71%); the belief that defending Taiwan is critical for the defense of other allies, such as Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines (70%).
Other reasons include the concern that failing to defend Taiwan would send a message to China and other adversaries that the U.S. is unwilling to stand up for its allies (70%).
The RRPFI’s latest survey also revealed that Americans are showing growing support for a stronger U.S. role in global affairs and a commitment to the U.S.’ allies in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, the organization said in a news release.
The survey showed a sharp 24-point increase since 2022 in the number of Americans who believe the U.S. should be more engaged and take the lead in international affairs. “These results demonstrate Americans continue to believe in President Reagan’s vision of ‘peace through strength,’” said Roger Zakheim, director of the RRPFI.
“Across party lines, Americans see U.S. international leadership both as a strategic necessity and a moral obligation. They understand the United States cannot remain secure or prosperous by retreating from the world,” Zakheim added.
The survey was conducted between May 27 and June 2, 2025, by a bipartisan research team from Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research. The study was based on a sample size of 1,257 respondents, reflecting the country’s demographics, comprising 478 telephone interviews (split between cell phones and landlines) and 779 online surveys.
Sources:
[1] Focus Taiwan
[2] Taipei Times
U.S. Experts Praise Taiwan’s Expanded Han Kuang Drills to Counter China’s “Gray Zone” Tactics
Taiwan’s increased focus on China’s “gray zone” threats and its extension of the live-fire portion of the annual Han Kuang military drills to 10 days have been praised by two U.S. defense experts.
Ely Ratner, a former U.S. assistant secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs at the Pentagon, said on July 2 that the changes “reflect an important ongoing evolution in the strengthening of Taiwan’s defenses and resilience.”
“Taiwan is on the right track to contribute to deterrence,” Ratner said, adding that it should continue moving forward with greater urgency and enhanced resources.
John Dotson, director of the Washington-based Global Taiwan Institute, said that this year’s exercises would be much more meaningful. They will be “less scripted,” allowing for “a bit more spontaneity, and the confusion that comes with actual warfare.”
It will be interesting to observe “how the exercise planners balance the traditional invasion scenario with the reported focus on countering gray zone pressure,” Dotson added.
On July 1, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that the live-fire portion of this year’s Han Kuang military exercises will run from July 9 to 18 — twice as long as previous drills — with a heightened focus on countering China’s “gray zone” tactics, or coercive actions short of open conflict.
According to Major General Tung Chi-hsing, director of the MND Joint Operations Planning Division, the scenario will begin with gray zone harassment from the Chinese military, transitioning through phases such as a peace-to-war shift, force deployment, joint anti-landing operations, coastal and beachhead combat, in-depth defense, and protracted warfare.
Earlier, on June 26, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo confirmed that this year’s drills would incorporate several newly acquired weapon systems for the first time, including the U.S.-supplied M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
First held in 1984, Han Kuang is Taiwan’s largest annual military exercise, combining live-fire drills with computerized war games. This year’s tabletop war games were conducted from April 5 to 18.
