Yul Kwon:
Now, to tell us how China views the Taiwan arms deal, we have with us today Dr. Jian Junbo from Shanghai's Fudan University. Doctor Jian is a visiting scholar at the London School of Economics. Thanks for joining us today professor.

Dr. Junbo:
Thank you.

Yul Kwon:
Now, I was struck by this opinion poll from the Global Times, a state-sponsored newspaper. It was commissioned in early September in seven Chinese cities. The poll shows that 84 percent of Chinese oppose US weapons sales to Taiwan. Three-quarters support strong action to stop the sale. And more than half want China to retaliate against US companies involved in making weapons for Taiwan. What do you think the survey means?

Dr. Junbo:
As we all know, this newspaper is supported by the Chinese government. So to some extent, their survey results will naturally align with the government's positions and policies. In this case, the survey captures a lot of the anger from Beijing directed at the United States when it sells weapons to Taiwan. So of course, this anger and the survey itself does represent how the majority of everyday Chinese people feel.

Yul Kwon:
Do you believe that the survey is accurate? Would the average Chinese citizen answer honestly, or do you think they would simply answer in the way that they think the pollster wanted them to answer?

Dr. Junbo:
Generally speaking, Chinese people today are relatively free to discuss foreign policy, with the exception of very sensitive domestic political issues. For example, it's a little more tricky to discuss issues with the political system, but much easier to speak openly about foreign policy. So regarding the weapons sales to Taiwan, the topic is not a sensitive issue like democracy reform, and the Chinese people don't need to lie about what they think. This should be an honest survey.

Yul Kwon:
Do you believe that China's leaders are going to take the arms sales more seriously this time than they have in the past?

Dr. Junbo:
We all know that in the past, because the United States sold weapons to Taiwan, the Chinese government had to react with some sense of urgency. For example, they suspended military exchanges, threatened to impose sanctions on US companies involved with the weapon sales. While the suspension of military exchanges did take place, the sanctions were just talk. The situation this time is similar. When the US sells weapons to Taiwan, China will take action. The details and extent of that action will depend on the nature of the weapons sale.

Yul Kwon:
What's driving the fact that Chinese people have such strong opinions about Taiwan?

Dr. Junbo:
Regarding this question, I think there are two historical factors. The first involves the Chinese people and their idea of the "Great Unification". This is a long standing concept in the minds of all Chinese people and is deeply engrained in how they think. Taiwan and China are separate now, and this weapons sale obstructs unification, so the Chinese are unhappy about it. The second reason involves the relationship between China and Japan. The first time Taiwan was separated from China was back during the first Sino-Japanese war, which still carries influence in the minds of many Chinese. The humiliation from the failure of that war is still an emotional issue for many Chinese.

Yul Kwon:
Thank you, Professor. Jian Junbo teaches international relations at Shanghai's Fudan University.