More than 80 percent of Taiwanese do not accept the “one country, two systems” formula and a majority reject the existence of the so-called “1992 consensus,” a survey published yesterday by the Cross-Strait Policy Association found.
Asked whether they supported Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) proposal of a “one country, two systems” model for unification, which would make Taiwan a local government and eliminate the Republic of China (ROC), 80.9 percent answered “no” and 13.7 percent said “yes.”
Even among respondents who identify with the pan-blue camp, the majority — 64.7 percent of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supporters and 63 percent of People First Party supporters — rejected the formula, the survey found.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
In addition, 68.5 percent did not think Beijing’s “one China” principle has room for the ROC, versus 25.5 percent who believed it does.
As for the “1992 consensus,” 55.7 percent of respondents did not think it exists, while 34.1 percent thought otherwise, with pan-blue supporters generally believing in its existence, the poll showed.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
However, Xi in a speech in Beijing on Wednesday last week said that it means “both sides of the [Taiwan] Strait belong to ‘one China’ and will work jointly to seek national unification.”
Seventy-eight percent of respondents agreed with President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) stance that cross-strait political negotiations need a mandate from the people, should be subject to public scrutiny and must be carried out by the governments on both sides of the Strait.
Tsai was responding to Xi’s expression of willingness to engage in dialogue on unification and cross-strait political issues with all political parties, groups and individuals from Taiwan on the basis of the “one China” principle.
Tsai’s “four musts” and calls for setting up of a three-part security network for cross-strait exchanges in her New Year’s address received overwhelming public support, garnering support from 85.2 percent and 87.3 percent of respondents respectively, the poll showed.
The “four musts” state that China must recognize the existence of the ROC; must respect the values of democracy and freedom that Taiwan’s 23 million people hold dear; must resolve cross-strait differences in a peaceful and equitable manner; and must engage in negotiations with the government of Taiwan or an institution with a government mandate.
The three-part security network includes parts to strengthen security of people’s livelihoods, enhance information security and improve security protecting democracy in cross-strait interactions.
Asked if they were satisfied with Tsai’s overall response to Xi’s speech, 61.6 percent answered “yes,” while 28.2 percent said “no.”
The poll, conducted on Saturday and Sunday, collected 1,047 valid samples, and has a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of 2.99 percentage points.
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a