A poll reveals that Japanese opinions on the military response to China over Taiwan are mixed.

According to a Kyodo news agency poll conducted on Sunday, there is disagreement among Japanese citizens about whether Japan should use its right to collective self-defense in the event that China strikes Taiwan.

60.4% of respondents supported Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s proposal to increase the nation’s defense budget, while 48.8% were in favor and 44.2% were against.

The survey is being conducted at a time when Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan have escalated a diplomatic dispute between Beijing and Tokyo. On November 7, the PM of Japan stated that a Chinese strike on Taiwan may constitute a “survival-threatening situation” and prompt Tokyo to take possible military action.

China has not ruled out using force to assert its claim to democratically-governed Taiwan, which is only 110 km (70 miles) from Japanese territory. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

Takaichi’s remarks sparked angry responses from Beijing, which also cautioned its citizens against traveling to Japan.

Takaichi has pledged to reach a defense spending goal of 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the current fiscal year through March, ahead of the original target of fiscal 2027, in a policy speech last month.

The approval rating for Takaichi’s cabinet was 69.9%, up by 5.5 percentage points from the previous month’s survey, Kyodo said.