(MENAFN) Nearly 50% of Japan’s citizens would endorse military action to assist Taiwan if tensions with Beijing escalated into conflict, according to a Kyodo News survey.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi informed parliament on Friday that any effort by Beijing to employ force to fully reunite with the self-governing island could create a “survival-threatening situation” under Japan’s security laws, potentially prompting a military response.

Her comments represent a departure from earlier administrations, which typically refrained from making explicit statements on the matter.

The Kyodo News article published on Sunday indicated that, based on a telephone survey involving over 1,000 participants, 48.8% of respondents supported Japan exercising its right to self-defense if hostilities erupted in the Taiwan Strait.

Even more respondents, 60.4%, advocated for Tokyo to boost its defense budget to enhance military capabilities.

The poll also revealed that since Takashi became Japan’s first female prime minister less than a month ago, her government’s approval rating increased by 5.5%, reaching 69.9%.

In response to Takaichi’s statements, Beijing summoned Japan’s ambassador in China to lodge a protest over what it described as “extremely malicious” remarks concerning Tokyo’s readiness to protect Taiwan.

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