TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A majority of Taiwanese approve of the Lai administration’s management of foreign affairs according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
MOFA reported the results of its own survey on Friday to provide a snapshot of public opinion on Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts in the first year of Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) presidency. The survey found that 61.1% of respondents are satisfied with the overall diplomatic performance of the government, according to the MOFA press release.
On specific issues, the survey found that 66.6% supported Lai’s diplomatic visit to three Pacific allies in December 2024, which included stops in the US state of Hawaii and the US territory of Guam. The survey indicates that 61.2% approve of Lai’s strategic response to US tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Public support for the performance of the MOFA strategic approach to foreign diplomacy was even higher. Support for the ministry’s integrated approach of partnering with the private sector to promote foreign exchanges and Taiwan’s visibility has an approval rating of 73.3%.
The survey found that 65.5% of respondents believe the ministry’s efforts are effective in promoting the prosperity of Taiwan’s allies and strengthening Taiwan’s relations abroad. Approval for Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung’s (林佳龍) performance was reported at 55.9%.
On the issue of safeguarding Taiwan’s sovereignty in the face of Chinese aggression, 80% approved of measures the government has taken to ensure regional stability and protect. Similarly, 81.4% said they approve of the government’s efforts to defend Taiwan’s international presence, such as speaking out against Chinese efforts to discredit Taiwan, and Beijing’s distortion of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758.
On the issue of US relations, 84.9% of respondents support Taiwan strengthening economic ties with the US. Meanwhile, 53% said “diplomatic relations” are more important than “cross-strait relations,” with 69.2% in agreement that China is the greatest security threat to the Indo-Pacific region.
