A government survey released on Friday shows that 68% of Japanese respondents view China's growing military power as the top security concern, surpassing North Korea's nuclear threats. Conducted amid heightened tensions following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan, the poll also reveals record-high support for the Self-Defense Forces.
The Japanese government released a survey on Friday revealing that 68% of 1,534 respondents identified advances in Chinese military technology and its activities near Japan and in the South China Sea as the primary security worry, up from 61% in the poll conducted three years ago.
The five-week survey started on November 6, just a day before Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that Tokyo could deploy its forces if a Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan posed an existential threat to Japan, igniting the worst diplomatic row with Beijing in over a decade.
China demanded a retraction of her remarks, issued travel warnings to its citizens against visiting Japan, and threatened to curb exports of rare earths vital to industrial supply chains. Beijing also ran military drills near Japan and conducted war games around Taiwan last week, involving missiles, warships, and aircraft.
Support for Japan's Self-Defense Forces hit an all-time high, with 94% of respondents expressing a favorable view. The poll arrives as Takaichi's administration gears up for its next defense strategy, anticipating further boosts in defense funding.
Under its U.S.-drafted postwar constitution, Japan has renounced the right to wage war but ranks among the world's top military spenders. It is doubling defense spending to 2% of GDP to deter China from pursuing territorial ambitions in East Asia through force.
Beijing has accused Japan of fueling regional tensions with its military buildup and warned of a "crushing" defeat should Tokyo intervene over Taiwan, which it claims as its territory.
