Phoebe Zhangin Shenzhen

Most people inTaiwan do not see US President Donald Trump as serious about deterring Beijing from a possible attack on the self-ruled island, according to a recent poll released on Tuesday.

Asked whether Trump was willing to prevent mainland China from “invading Taiwan by force”, 44.8 per cent of the 1,070 respondents said no, while 34.3 per cent said yes in the poll conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation between October 13 and 15.

And on a question as to whether the US leader was “capable” of preventing an invasion by mainland China, 45.2 per cent said yes – slightly more than the 42.7 per cent who said no.

The results signalled “a wave of pessimism” and “deep worry” in Taiwan, according to the foundation’s analysis, suggesting wavering confidence in the US.

Scepticism over America’s defence commitment to the self-ruled island has run high during Trump’s second presidential term.

The foundation’s poll in May found that more than 57 per cent of respondents no longer believed the US was a reliable partner of Taiwan, while less than a third still viewed Washington as dependable.