Can character encoding issues contribute to the "Unexpected token" error, and how can I resolve them?

Yes, character encoding issues can lead to invalid JSON. Ensure that the data is encoded in UTF-8, which is the most widely compatible encoding for JSON. On the server-side, specify the encoding in the 'Content-Type' header (e.g., 'application/json; charset=utf-8'). If the client-side is encountering encoding issues, make sure the HTML file and JavaScript files are also in UTF-8 encoding.