Taiwan Is America's 13th Closest Ally: U.S. Survey

Central News Agency | Aug. 6, 2006

[Tai_Chung]

Taiwan is considered by some Americans as the 13th closest ally of the United States among a list of 25 countries, ranking far ahead of China, which takes 23rd place, according to the results of a survey released recently by Harris Interactive Inc.

The survey was conducted from July 5-11 among 1,020 adults, but only approximately 500 people were asked about each country. It had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

The survey shows that 25 percent of the respondents think Taiwan is a close ally of the United States, 36 percent think Taiwan is friendly but not a close ally, 21 percent think Taiwan is not friendly but not an enemy either, and 6 percent think Taiwan is unfriendly and an enemy. Another 12 percent of those surveyed said they did not know or declined to answer the question.

On Americans' perception of China, only 9 percent of the respondents described China as a close ally, 37 percent said China is friendly but not a close ally, 33 percent said China is not friendly but not an enemy either, and 17 percent said China is unfriendly and an enemy. Another 4 percent did not know or declined to answer the question.

Meanwhile, Great Britain has for the third consecutive year been considered by Americans as the closest ally of the United States, with 74 percent of the respondents saying Great Britain is a close ally.

The other countries on the top four list are Canada, Australia and Japan, which are considered by 64 percent, 61 percent and 50 percent of the respondents, respectively, as a close ally of the United States.

Harris Interactive has conducted the survey since 1982. The countries included in this year's list are Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan, Israel, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Greece, France, India, Brazil, South Africa, Chile, Russia, Argentina, Colombia, China and Pakistan.

[KarlInOhio]

Source link?

[MNJohnnie]

What are the American people smoking? The Scandinavia countires? The Netherlands? Where is Poland and Australia both who should be in the top 5 based on facts rather then feelings.

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

China ? And Pakistan ?

[Tai_Chung]

http://www.taiwansecurity.org/CNA/2006/CNA-060806.htm

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

At least half of this list is BS

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Australia is number three right behind the UK and Canada.

Don't know why Poland would fail to make the list.

[moose2004]

Ally or not?

Great Britain: yes

Canada: yes

Australia: yes

Japan: yes

Israel: yes

Italy: yes

South Korea: no

Mexico: no

Germany: with Merkel, yes

Sweden: no

Spain: under Zapataro's government, no

Norway: yes

Taiwan: yes

the Netherlands: yes

Greece: no

France: NO

India: yes

Brazil: no

South Africa: no

Chile: no

Russia: no

Argentina: no

Colombia: yes

China: no

and Pakistan: no

[Luigi Vasellini]

also Georgia

[KarlInOhio]

I found the original Harris page on this.

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=687

"Do you feel that (READ EACH ITEM) is a close ally of the U.S., is friendly but not a close ally, is not friendly but not an enemy, or is unfriendly and is an enemy of the U.S.?"

Base: All Adults

Rank Now			Close Ally	Friendly Not Close Ally	Not Friendly, Not Enemy	Unfriendly /Enemy	Not Sure/ Refused	Rank in:
								2003	2004	2005
1	Great Britain	%	74	11	8	3	3	1	1	1
2	Canada	%	64	27	7	1	2	2	2	2
3	Australia	%	61	26	8	1	4	3	3	3
4	Japan	%	50	30	11	7	3	=6	5	5
5	Israel	%	47	28	13	7	6	4	4	4
=6	Italy	%	34	41	17	2	6	=6	7	7
=6	South Korea	%	34	20	22	18	5	9	8	8
=8	Mexico	%	31	42	18	5	4	5	6	6
=8	Germany	%	31	39	21	2	7	=14	=10	9
=8	Sweden	%	31	42	16	2	9	=12	=12	10
=11	Spain	%	28	46	17	*	8	8	9	11
=11	Norway	%	28	40	17	3	12	11	14	15
13	Taiwan	%	25	36	21	6	12	=12	=12	=12
14	Holland (Netherlands)	%	27	42	16	1	14	10	=10	=12
15	Greece	%	24	41	18	4	12	16	=15	17
16	France	%	19	35	35	9	2	=18	=17	16
17	India	%	17	45	22	6	10	21	=17	14
=18	Brazil	%	15	43	23	2	16	=14	=17	18
=18	South Africa	%	15	40	30	4	13	=18	=15	=19
20	Chile	%	12	36	27	4	22	=22	=22	=19
21	Russia	%	10	36	33	16	5	=18	=20	=19
22	Argentina	%	10	40	27	4	20	17	=20	=22
=23	Colombia	%	9	25	43	12	10	=22	24	=22
=23	China	%	9	37	33	17	4	25	25	25
25	Pakistan	%	6	27	31	24	11	=22	=22	24

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

A-ha!

They were asked to rank from a list they were given rather then asked which counties they viewed as allies of the US.

OK now it makes sense.

[KarlInOhio]

At least half of this list is BS

Why? I wouldn't consider many of the countries to be allies, but it's smart to include countries on both sides to see which are seen to be allies and which are seen as enemies. I would like to see countries like Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Kuwait, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia added. I would really be interested in that Saudi number.

[Tai_Chung]

7% believe Japan is an enemy?

This must be the American Communist Party!

[RightWhale]

Taiwan is a territory of the US.

[KarlInOhio]

7% believe Japan is an enemy?

This must be the American Communist Party!

Or some WW II vets who still want to give the "Nips" another butt kicking.

I think that you could get about 5% for any response just from people goofing on pollsters. How many people would say yes when polled "Should canibalism be legalized?"

[Condor51]

These people are dolts. Why Harris published this nonsense is beyond me - unless it was to embarrass the numb skulls who participated.

1. Great Britain,
2. Australia
3. Poland
4. Taiwan
5. Japan (Their Trade Practices suck. Very Anti-USA)
6. India
7. Lithuania (They LOVE the US)
8. South Korea (too bad they now hate us - we should leave pdq)
9. Germany (in the 'old days' they'd be #3)
10. Colombia (our gubmints work closely together)
11. Pakistan
12. Canada
13. Italy
14. Spain
15. Israel (They have to STOP spying on us and selling Top Secret Equip to China)
16. Greece
17. Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands (aka the 'So What' countries)
18. Brazil, Argentina, Chile
19. Russia (they could be higher but keep p*ssing us off)
20. China
21. South Africa
22. Mexico (would it be bad to pray that Mexico become the next Atlantis and just disappear?)
23. France (we should attack France before Iran)

Well that's my rating. But what do I know, I'm no John Kerry, Joe Wilson or Jimmah Carter.

[KarlInOhio]

Taiwan is a territory of the US.

What?!!?

Taiwan is sovereign country the Republic of China and the legitimate ruler of all of China. They just need a little help with the communist rebels in temporary control of a few provinces on the mainland.

[irish guard]

Hard to believe Poland is not on that list.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Or Korean Americans! :-)

[Phocion]

7% believe Japan is an enemy?

This must be the American Communist Party!

In addition to WWII vets, there are still some people with minds trapped in the 1980s, when the media was hyping up a Japanese takeover of the US economy. Much the same way many people hype a Chinese takeover of the US economy these days.