The latest poll by National Chengchi University’s Election Study Center showed a record-high 31.2 percent of respondents support the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), a significant increase from 19.5 percent in 2009.
The center has been conducting the survey on people’s “core political attitudes” since 1992, tracking the trends in people’s stance toward independence or unification, their national identification and party preference.
As of December last year, 31.2 percent of the 9,870 people surveyed said they support the DPP, according to the survey results, which were published on Wednesday.
Support for the DPP has been steadily increasing since 2009 (19.3 percent reaching 24.6 percent in 2010, 24.9 percent in 2011, 25.7 percent in 2012 and 26.7 percent in 2013 and 2014).
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) had 22.1 percent of public support, its lowest support rating in the past 10 years. Support for the KMT has steadily declined since 2011, when it garnered a record-high 39.5 percent of public support.
The poll found that 59.5 percent of respondents identified as Taiwanese — slightly lower than the record-high 60.6 percent in 2014.
The poll also found that 33.3 percent of respondents identified themselves as both Taiwanese and Chinese, increasing slightly from the 32.5 percent in 2014. Those identifying as solely Chinese dropped to a historical low of 3.3 percent.
With regard to Taiwanese independence, 22.2 percent of respondents said they support independence — either by moving toward it while maintaining the “status quo” (17.9 percent) or favoring a declaration of independence as soon as possible (4.3 percent) — which was lower than the 23.9 percent in 2014.
The number of people who support unification with China — either by moving toward it while maintaining the “status quo” (8.1 percent) or hoping for unification as soon as possible (1.5 percent) — saw a slight uptick from the historical low of 9.2 percent in 2014 to 9.6 percent.
The poll found that 25.4 percent of respondents want the “status quo” to be maintained indefinitely.
DDP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) unpopular and pro-China policies have made Taiwanese identity stronger than ever, while at the same time sending Chinese identity to a new low.
Lee said that with president-elect Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) takeover approaching, it remains to be seen whether China is going to continue to intimidate the new administration and obstruct Taiwan’s participation in international affairs. If it does, the gap between the number of people identifying themselves as Taiwanese and Chinese would continue to grow, Lee said.
He also said that the record-high support for the DPP should be appreciated “with vigilance and fear,” as the public would soon turn its back on the party if it fails to live up to its policy promises.
Additional Reporting by Tseng Wei-chen
POLITICAL AGENDA: Beijing’s cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival events are part of a ‘cultural united front’ aimed at promoting unification with Taiwan, academics said Local authorities in China have been inviting Taiwanese to participate in cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations centered around ideals of “family and nation,” a move Taiwanese academics said politicizes the holiday to promote the idea of “one family” across the Taiwan Strait. Sources said that China’s Fujian Provincial Government is organizing about 20 cross-strait-themed events in cities including Quanzhou, Nanping, Sanming and Zhangzhou. In Zhangzhou, a festival scheduled for Wednesday is to showcase Minnan-language songs and budaixi (布袋戲) glove puppetry to highlight cultural similarities between Taiwan and the region. Elsewhere, Jiangsu Province is hosting more than 10 similar celebrations in Taizhou, Changzhou, Suzhou,
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
RSS