Another poll, released yesterday, showed the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential ticket featuring President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) to be neck-and-neck with the pan-blue ticket featuring Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜).
The poll conducted by the pro-blue China Times newspaper comes in the wake of another conducted by the DPP, released last Friday, showing similar results.
The China Times poll, conducted on Dec. 5 showed that public support for the Chen-Lu ticket was 34 percent, while that of the KMT-PFP Lien-Soong ticket stood at 36 percent. However, about 30 percent of those questioned remained undecided.
The poll also found that after tense partisan feuding over the passage of the Referendum Law the pan-green and pan-blue camps still managed to maintain their base of support.
Analysis of the poll indicated that both the ruling and opposition camps have mobilized their rank-and-file supporters in great intensity, especially the DPP which has conducted its mobilization with the most vigor.
Analysis also suggested that Chen's increased support was due to his appeal to a Taiwan-centered consciousness. This was highlighted by both aa large-scale march in October organized by the pan-green camp in support of the referendum law and a new constitution as well as the battle for the referendum law in the legislature, the newspaper said.
The same survey showed, that given the choice of identifying themselves as Taiwanese, Chinese or both Taiwanese and Chinese, the proportion of people identifying themselves as Taiwanese had risen from 37 percent in late October to 50 percent.
Those who considered themselves both Taiwanese and Chinese had dropped from 48 percent in late October to 38 percent.
The poll did not, however, show the figures for people identifying themselves as Chinese.
Chen's campaign was in buoyant mood after the release of the poll.
DPP Deputy Secretary General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) comparing details of Chen's national support rate in the 2000 presidential election wit the results of recent polls, said Chen's popularity had gained steadily nation-wide, especially in central Taiwan's Taichung, Changhua and Nantou counties and the southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung County and Pingtung County.
Analyzing the recent gains in public support, director of the DPP's Public Opinion Survey Center Chen Chun-lin (陳俊麟) said the strengthening of support in southern Taiwan was largely as a result of the use of sovereignty-related strategies, such as the holding of a "defensive referendum."
Chen Chun-lin said people in central Taiwan tended to be more concerned with the government's ability to initiate and complete local infrastructure construction and were favorably impressed by the DPP's record.
In the Hakka-populated Miaoli, Hsinchu and Taoyuan areas, he said that, since the Hakka communities were highly clannish, the party would focus on expanding connections with local Hakka clan leaders.
As for the urban Taipei area, where a majority of residents are mainlanders and as a result the area has shown more support for the pan-blue ticket, Chen Chun-lin said the city's residents were more influenced by the media which has been widely criticized for its pan-blue bias.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
RSS