Taiwan is a democratic nation that faces significant security challenges from China, which is also its largest trading partner and source of foreign direct investment. To address this delicate balance between security and economic considerations, Taiwan must carefully navigate its relations with China. China’s threat to Taiwan’s security is a serious concern, and it is unclear whether the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. These security concerns also have significant implications for Taiwan’s domestic politics, as the government and political parties must weigh the pros and cons of various approaches to handling relations with China.
Surveys can provide valuable insights into the views and attitudes of the Taiwanese public on matters related to security and can be used to monitor changes over time. To address this need, Dr. Emerson Niou led a workshop at Duke University in 2002, along with Tun-jen Cheng, John Hsieh, Tse-min Lin, T.Y. Wang, and Vincent Wei-cheng Wang, to create a survey to gauge Taiwanese public opinion on security issues. The first Taiwan National Security Studies (TNSS) survey was conducted in December 2002, with the most recent survey conducted in December 2022. The survey results are open to the academic community for research purposes.
Recent survey data
2022 | ZIP File | 2022.12.09-14 | n = 1501 | English Questionnaire
2020 | ZIP File | 2020.10.27-31 | n = 1110 | English Questionnaire
2019 | ZIP File | 2019.01.03-07 | n = 1120 | English Questionnaire
Recent publications using TNSS survey data
Huang, D.W.F., Wu, WC. (2023). Taking Sides with the US Against China?—An Analysis of the Taiwanese Choice. In: Grano, S.A., Huang, D.W.F. (eds) China-US Competition. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15389-1_11
Wang, Austin H. E., & Nadia Eldemerdash (2022). National identity, willingness to fight, and collective action. Journal of Peace Research, 00223433221099058.
Wang, Austin H. E. (2019). The myth of polarization among Taiwanese voters: The missing middle. Journal of East Asian Studies, 19(3), 275-287.
Wang, Austin H. E. (2017). The Waning effect of China’s Carrot and stick policies on Taiwanese people: Clamping down on growing national identity?. Asian Survey, 57(3), 475-503.
