A poll released on Sunday, March 15, has found that the Chinese public hold relatively friendly sentiments towards Taiwan. The majority of respondents favor non-military means to improve cross-strait relations, with 86% supporting strengthened cultural exchanges and 81% believing in deepening economic and trade interactions.

This poll was initiated by the non-profit Carter Center and Emory University, in collaboration with a Chinese polling company. A pilot survey of 1,428 people was conducted in the summer of 2025 to validate the logical structure. The formal survey was conducted from October 27, 2025, to January 1, 2026, and interviewed 2,506 adults.

The survey asked Chinese respondents to rate their feelings towards Taiwan. A score of 0 to 49 indicated feelings of hostility and indifference; a score of 51 to 100 indicated feelings of friendliness and warmth. Chinese respondents gave an average score of 62 out of 100. While respondents of different genders, ages, and incomes expressed varying feelings about Taiwan, no group expressed negative sentiment (scores below 50) in either round of this poll.

On the other hand, under the hypothetical scenario of "Taiwan's open independence," 81% of respondents supported limited military action against Taiwan's outlying islands, while only 32% supported a full-scale invasion. The report notes that the reluctance to support a full-scale war can be partly attributed to another question: the percentage of those who believed that "using force would only worsen the Taiwan issue" (50%) was twice that of those who disagreed (24%).

The report concludes that the Chinese public holds ambivalent attitudes towards resolving the Taiwan issue by force, but clearly expresses a desire to prioritize improving cross-strait relations through non-coercive means. If conflict is unavoidable, most respondents tend to support smaller-scale military operations confined to outlying islands rather than a full-scale war against Taiwan proper, as many Chinese believe that using force will only exacerbate the already complex Taiwan issue.