UPI Poll: U.S. responsibility to Taiwan

WASHINGTON, May 28 (UPI) -- A small majority of UPI-Zogby International poll respondents said the United States has a responsibility to defend Taiwan if the island is attack by China.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province but many in Taipei consider the island independent. The United States formally sees Taiwan as part of China but has limited relations with leaders on Taiwan.

Some 53.5 percent of U.S. participants in a May 16-18 Zogby interactive poll either strongly agreed (20.6 percent) or somewhat agreed (32.9 percent) that the United States has a responsibility to defend Taiwan should it be attacked by China. Another 21.5 percent somewhat disagreed and 14.5 percent strongly disagreed. A relatively high figure of 10.5 percent wasn't sure.

Self-described Republicans were more likely to voice support for Taiwan (70.5 percent saying either strongly agree or somewhat agree) compared to Democratic participants (8.5 percent strongly agree and 29.3 percent somewhat agree).

Asked if a Sino-U.S. military conflict is likely in the near future, 5.7 percent of respondents said it was very likely, 26.1 percent said somewhat likely, 39.7 percent said somewhat unlikely and 20.8 percent said very unlikely.

There is a 1.4-percentage-point margin of error in the data, which was taken from information provided by 5,141 U.S. residents.