When asked whether the People's Liberation Army (PLA) could wrest control of the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea from Japan, 87% of respondents said they thought it could. And 74% thought China would still prevail, even if the US got involved militarily.
Responses were similar regarding hypothetical actions in the South China Sea, at 85.6% and 73% respectively. Even though Chinese were confident about the PLA's abilities, a majority — 55.5% in the case of the East China Sea, 54% in the South — said they would not want their country to go to war.
The polls were part of a study titled, "Exploring China's 'Maritime Consciousness' Public Opinion on the South and East China Sea Disputes." The study, by the Perth USAsia Centre, will become an annual project, examining attitudes around current disputes over territory in the regions.
The Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands are administered by Japan, but China claims them as well. The islands are uninhabited but are near important fishing grounds, shipping lanes and possible oil and gas reserves, so controlling them is a strategic advantage.
When asked how high of a priority the island disputes were on a list of 9 national issues, they came in behind corruption, wealth inequality, food and drug safety, moral issues and environmental pollution. About 51% listed the island conflicts among their top 5 choices.
