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US public opinion on cross-strait relations: the effect of China threat on the China–Taiwan tension

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2023

Hsin-Hsin Pan Open the ORCID record for Hsin-Hsin Pan [Opens in a new window]
Hsin-Hsin Pan*
Affiliation:
Soochow University – Waishuanghsi Campus, Taiwan
*
Corresponding author. E-mail: hhp@scu.edu.tw
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Abstract

This paper examines US public opinion after the drastic changes in US–China relations during the Trump presidency. I argue that the perceived China threat influences Americans' evaluation of the China–Taiwan tension. Based on the US dataset of the 2018 Survey on Global Attitudes and Trends by the Pew Research Center, Americans tend to perceive the China–Taiwan tension as a serious problem for the USA when Americans identify China as a major threat and its military strength as a concern. As US public opinion shapes the US foreign policy on China, the findings shed light on the public support for the ongoing US–China conflict.

Keywords

China threatChina–Taiwan tensionUS public opinion

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Type
Research Article
Information
Japanese Journal of Political Science , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , June 2023 , pp. 190 - 207
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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