The people of Taiwan have a better impression of the people of China than they do of its rulers, according to the results of a poll released yesterday.
The poll, conducted by a major Taiwan daily, was commissioned in order to learn about local impressions of the people and government of China, and of that nation as a whole.
The media said that the opening of the "small three links" -- direct trade, postal and transport links between Kinmen and Matsu and China -- could narrow the gap of time and space across the Taiwan Strait.
But in the long run, it is the will of the people that will decide whether Taiwan moves toward unification with China or separation, the reports concluded.
Optimistic and diligent
According to the survey's results, most of China's people are seen to be more optimistic than pessimistic and more diligent than lazy. However, they also were thought to tend to be more cold than kind, more vulgar than graceful and more hypocritical than sincere in their dealings with others.
In terms of Taiwanese impressions of China's government, the survey conveys an image of corruption, cruelty, belligerence and a disregard of public opinion. The survey respondents also accused China's government of lacking a love of peace, kindness and integrity.
Inefficient government
Some 44 percent of the respondents said that China's government is highly efficient, which is sometimes said to be a characteristic of an authoritarian state.
However, 31 percent of those polled said the Chinese government is inefficient.
On the impression of China as a nation, the respondents said they are most impressed with its rich culture (73 percent), followed by 53 percent who described it as an "advanced country."
Other impressions tended to be more negative and included references to poverty, conservatism, authoritarianism and backwardness.
As the percentage of respondents who think China is rich (38 percent) lags only six percentage points behind those who think it is poor (44 percent), it shows that the Taiwan people are having second thoughts about China after its economic reforms.
Overall, only 2 percent of those polled said they have a very good impression of China, while 37 percent said they have a good impression, 36 percent said they do not have a good impression of China and 10 percent said they have a poor impression.
The poll also found that those who have visited China tend to leave with a better impression of the Chinese government than those who have not visited China, but they tend to have a poorer impression about the nation in general.
There is no difference in the impressions of China's people.
The mass media is the main channel through which Taiwan people learn about China and the poll found that most people get their information about the country from the TV (85 percent), followed by newspapers (60 percent).
The survey found that 8 percent of Taiwanese also get information from the Internet, similar to the percentage who get information from the radio (10 percent) and magazines (9 percent).
Economic news popular
The trade opportunities in the mainland also have a great impact on Taiwan's people.
Twenty-six percent of the respondents said they like economic news of the mainland, followed by 23 percent who expressed a preference for political news.
Another 20 percent cited tourism information and 13 percent said they like to stay abreast of folk and cultural information from China.
The poll found that TV shows on tourism and local customs on the mainland are very popular among Taiwan people.
Up to 60 percent of the respondents, mostly in the 30 to 39 age group range, say they regularly watch TV programs that profile mainland scenery.
The results were the same, irrespective of respondents' political affiliation or their stance regarding whether they favored Taiwan independence or unification with China.
The poll was conducted between Dec. 25 and Dec. 28 and encompassed 1,073 adults with a margin of error of 3 percent.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique