CGTN global survey: 66.7% know Taiwan's history related to WWII

A recent CGTN survey shows that 66.7 percent of global respondents are aware of Taiwan's history related to World War II and its restoration to China in 1945, with the rate among Asia-based respondents standing at 73.5 percent.

The global public opinion survey was conducted on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, covering close to 12,000 respondents from some 40 countries. 

The survey showed that 42.4 percent of global respondents believe that Taiwan's restoration to China is an outcome of victory in WWII, with favorable views standing at 50 percent among those aged 18-24 and 50.9 percent among those aged 25-34. 

Behind this is the fact that binding documents like the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation mandated Taiwan's return to China on October 25, 1945, when Japan surrendered under the terms of these documents and ended the 50 years of Japanese occupation. 

According to the CGTN survey, in eight Asian countries–India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam – 73.2 percent of respondents were aware of the history.

Among the younger demographics, favorable views were held by 47.4 percent of respondents aged 18-24 and 51.4 of those aged 25-34. 

But in Japan, only 14 percent of respondents acknowledged this, and 48 percent held a negative view. 

Across all 40 countries surveyed, 37.5 percent of respondents said they believe that "Taiwan independence" separatist activities undermine the post-war international order, with a 41.8 percent of those aged 18-24, a 44.1 percent in the 25-34 ages and 40.1 percent among the 35-44 group expressing agreement with this sentiment. 

In the eight Asian countries mentioned above, the overall rate of favorability towards the same sentiment reached 45.3 percent, with favorability among the 18-24 age group at 47.4 percent, 51.4 percent among those aged 25-34, 47.5 percent among those aged 35-44 and 41.9 percent among those aged 45-54.