Forty-seven percent of respondents in a recent nationwide public opinion survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun had a positive view toward Japan exercising collective self-defense rights, regarding tensions over Taiwan between the United States and China.
Forty-one percent, on the other hand, replied that they do not have a positive view on the collective self-defense rights issue.
In a survey conducted in September 2015, just after the enactment of the security-related legislation that enables Japan to exercise a limited range of collective self-defense rights, only 31% supported the enactment, while 58% did not.
The results of the recent survey seem to indicate that an increasing number of people have accepted the legislation partly because of caution over China's hegemonic actions.
The viewpoints appear reversed between men and women. The survey also showed 59% of men had a positive view on the rights and 34% of men did not. And among women, 36% viewed collective self-defense rights positively, while 48% did not.
By supporters of specific political parties, 61% of those who support the ruling parties had a positive point of view on the matter and 30% did not.
Among those who support the opposition parties, 37% had a positive viewpoint, while 57% did not.
And among those who do not support any specific party, 39% had a positive view and 47% did not.
The percentages widely differ depending on which political party the respondents support.
When asked about Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's stance to counter China's moves in cooperation with the United States, which he expressed during a summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in April, 70% viewed this positively, while 19% did not.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
