A new poll shows rising support in Taiwan for formal diplomatic recognition from the United States, a sign of hardening public opinion toward both China and the island's own government.

• 45.7% of respondents want Taiwan's government to actively pursue establishing diplomatic relations with the US, and 51.7% support doing so specifically under the name "Taiwan" rather than "Republic of China."
• Only 16.1% of people have a favorable view of China, while 46% lean toward independence versus 10.7% favoring unification with China and 37.7% wanting to keep the current status indefinitely.
• 66.4% say they would be willing to personally take on risk to defend Taiwan if attacked militarily, and 58.8% support a military alliance between Taiwan and the US.
• Taiwan's legislature scored worse than China did on favorability — just 14.7% of people are satisfied with lawmakers' performance, which organizers called an alarming sign about the quality of the legislature's work.
• The poll was run by pro-independence advocacy groups, and support for these positions varies even within the same political party, showing the issue cuts across normal party lines.

Outlook: These findings are likely to fuel continued debate in Taiwan over formal ties with Washington and over China policy, but any actual move toward diplomatic recognition would depend on decisions in Washington and Beijing, not just Taiwanese public opinion.