Majority also support increased arms shipments to island nation
A majority of Americans support an increase to the U.S. military's presence around Taiwan as the democratic island faces an increased threat from China, a new poll indicates.
More than half of Americans, 56%, said that they would support an increase in U.S. military presence as a way to discourage China from invading Taiwan and 30% indicated they would oppose such a move, according to the results of a Reagan Institute poll shared with Fox News on Sunday.
The poll comes as tensions between China and the self-governing island of Taiwan have continued to increase over the last year, with China staging multiple military drills in the Taiwan Strait in response to meetings between Taiwanese and American officials.
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A Taiwanese frigate launches a U.S.-made Standard missile during a naval drill near Suao, Taiwan. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images/File)
Tension has continued to increase this month as Taiwan's air force scrambled fighter jets after a group of 10 Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait for the second time in less than a week.
Fears over a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan have grown since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and fiercely resists any move toward complete independence for the self-governing island, hinting that it would use military force in response to such a move.
Because of the threat facing Taiwan, the Reagan Institute poll found that 52% of Americans support the idea of increasing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan in an effort to deter China, compared to 31% who oppose such a move.
A Chinese warship sails during a military drill near the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands, which are close to the Chinese coast. (Reuters/Thomas Peter/File)
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Americans also voiced support for U.S. lawmakers who have held meetings with leaders from Taiwan, with 61% saying the leaders were right "because they showed support for a threatened democracy" while 21% said those meetings were wrong as they risked provoking China.
Overall, respondents showed overwhelming support for the ideas of strong American leadership abroad and increasing the strength of the military.
China President Xi Jinping (Jack Taylor/Pool Photo via AP/File)
"Americans have core principles that have remained consistent over time, specifically in their enduring support for a strong military, defending Ukraine against Russian aggression, and deterring China," Roger Zakheim, the director of the Ronald Reagan Institute, said in a press release.
"Our survey shows the American people want the United States to demonstrate leadership in the world in line with President Reagan’s principle of ‘peace through strength.’"
Michael Lee is a writer at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee
