Half of Japanese Worried about Taiwan Conflict: Survey

Tokyo, Dec. 2 (Jiji Press)–Nearly half of Japanese people are concerned about a potential Taiwan conflict, a survey by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan showed on Monday. The survey found that 49.6 pct of respondents said what they are most concerned about in Japan-Taiwan relations is the impact of the situation in the Taiwan Strait, or relations between Taiwan and China, on Japan. In the survey, 22.5 pct said they have no concerns, while 9 pct raised territorial issues and 7.2 pct pointed to economic rivalry. The online survey was conducted by Central Research Services Inc., a Jiji Press affiliate, on behalf of the de fact Taiwanese embassy in Japan, on Oct. 24-28 on 1,000 Japanese people aged 20-89. Asked if they have seen news reports on Taiwan in recent years, 59.3 pct replied yes. Of them, 64.9 pct said reports on the Taiwan Strait situation, such as China’s military drills near Taiwan, have left a strong impression. The survey showed that 68.5 pct said they believe Japan-Taiwan relations are favorable, while 74.5 pct said they feel closeness to Taiwan and 63.6 pct said they can trust Taiwan. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]