The majority of Europeans would want to remain neutral in any conflict between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, according to a survey for a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

The opinion poll conducted in April across 11 EU member states also showed nearly half those asked view China as a "necessary partner," rather than a threat or rival. 

With 16,168 respondents on a wide range of topics, the study shows their instincts on cooperative foreign policy are adapting to the growing polarization of the new geopolitical reality.

Asked about the hypothetical scenario of a conflict between China and the U.S. over Taiwan they were asked what they would like their country to do. An average of 62 percent wanted neutrality with a reluctance to de-risk from China – even though they highlighted some risks in China's economic presence in Europe.

Residents of Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden were included in the research.

In April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused China of "ramping up its military posture" and accused it of using "coercion" in its foreign relations. This was in contrast to French President Emmanuel Macron who recently spoke of reviving the strategic and global partnership with China. 

Judging by this poll, Europe is leaning towards Macron's point of view and hoping for collaboration, rather than confrontation with China. 

Germany, Sweden, France, and Denmark are the only countries in the survey where the prevailing view was to cast China as a 'rival' or an 'adversary.' Meanwhile, an average of 43 percent across all states view China as a "necessary partner."

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The Ukraine conflict has seen Europe collaborating closely with the U.S. and most citizens agree that Washington is an ally or at least a partner. However, three-quarters of those surveyed said that Europe cannot always rely on Washington and that it needs to look after its own defensive capabilities.

Only 8 percent believed the U.S. will always protect Europe and therefore Europeans did not need to prioritise an independent military capacity.

The report concludes that European leaders have an opportunity to build public consensus around Europe's approach to China, the U.S., and Russia, emphasizing the need to understand what motivates the public and communicate clearly about the future.

The polls were carried out for ECFR as an online survey through public opinion research and data analytics firms Datapraxis, YouGov, Alpha, Szondaphone and Analitiqs during April 2023. 

The study says in all these countries the sample was nationally representative of basic demographics and past votes.

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