Taiwan is overwhelmingly supported, according to a French study

Taiwan: According to the Taipei Times, an annual study by the Descartes Foundation and the Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defense found that most French respondents think the people of Taiwan should determine the country’s destiny.

Despite China’s ongoing accusations and threats against the island country, the results show strong support for Taiwan’s democratic ideals. The study offers important insight into the French people’s position on foreign problems and is included in a 103-page report on popular views of global conflicts.

Four thousand French people participated in the August study, which questioned them about their opinions on four important geopolitical conflicts: the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war, the tensions between France and Mali, and the escalating hostilities in the Taiwan Strait.

The paper examined the effects of foreign information manipulation and interference, specifically how aggressors in international wars fabricate narratives to justify their acts, according to Laurent Cordonier, research director at the Descartes Foundation and study leader.

Statements expressing both Chinese and Taiwanese viewpoints were shown to responders about the Taiwan Strait problem. The poll referenced three claims made by China: “By supporting the Taiwan government, the US and other Western powers illegally intervene in China’s internal affairs.”

“Taiwan has historically belonged to China and is part of China’s territory,” and now “Only the Chinese government has the right to decide Taiwan’s future.”

The results showed that French respondents had little support for these opinions. Just 28.4% of respondents agreed with the first statement to some degree, whilst 46.7% disapproved. Likewise, 48.4% disagreed with the second statement, while 20.3% agreed. The lowest percentage of respondents agreed with the third statement, with just 11% saying they supported it and 72.2% saying they did not.

The declarations made by the Taiwanese government, however, were overwhelmingly endorsed. According to Taipei Times, 79.5 percent of respondents agreed with the first statement, “It is the people of Taiwan, not the Chinese government, who can freely and democratically determine Taiwan’s future,” while just 6.2 percent disagreed.

Only 7.7 percent of respondents disagreed with the second statement, which emphasized Taiwan’s autonomy as essential to preserving democratic principles. With 69 percent of respondents agreeing and just 8.3 percent opposing, the third statement—which emphasized that Taiwan has never been governed by the Chinese Communist Party and condemned China’s efforts at forcible unification—also received a lot of support.

According to Cordonier, the findings show that French respondents clearly support Taiwan’s right to self-determination, with support levels even higher than those for Ukraine’s conflict with Russia. This is indicative of the French public’s general support for democracy and mistrust of authoritarian governments.

The study also looked at respondents’ perceptions of several countries that are currently engaged in hostilities. Just 14.5% of individuals had a poor opinion of Taiwan, compared to 57.7% who had a reasonably good opinion. China, on the other hand, came in third place, while Russia had the poorest reputation of all the nations polled.

The results also looked at the replies’ political and demographic trends. Respondents who were older, especially those 65 and older, were more inclined to reject authoritarian regimes and prefer democratic countries like Taiwan.

In terms of politics, far-left and far-right people were more pro-China, while center voters supported Taiwan the most. Additionally, attitudes were shaped by the news sources.

According to Taipei Times, those who support authoritarian governments often get their news from social media and websites like YouTube, while those who favor democracies typically depend on professional and international media.

Respondents were also questioned on France’s possible involvement in the case of a Chinese assault on Taiwan. More than half (56.5%) agreed that France should denounce Chinese aggression and provide diplomatic support for Taiwan. Only 16.8% of respondents, however, were in favor of deploying French soldiers to assist in defending the island. In the meanwhile, 40.5% disagreed with the statement that France should take no action if China attacked Taiwan, while 39.3% agreed.

According to Cordonier, the results provide a better insight into how people feel about international conflicts, showing strong support for individual autonomy and skepticism toward narratives created by authoritarian governments.