More than half of Taiwanese support the signing of an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China, although slightly less than half have concerns about the government’s ability to protect Taiwan’s rights, a survey by Global Views magazine’s Survey Research Center showed yesterday.
The telephone survey, which polled 1,022 people from Monday to Wednesday, showed that 54.4 percent said an ECFA should enhance economic exchanges across the Taiwan Strait. However, 49 percent said they did not trust the government’s ability to to protect their rights and prevent any negative impact an ECFA would have on local businesses.
A total of 55.4 percent of respondents did not think an ECFA with China would lead to unification. Forty-four percent supported government efforts to seek closer economic cooperation with China, while 27.8 percent disapproved.
The poll showed that 51.2 percent of people said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should have a more open China policy. Forty-nine percent agreed that the DPP would be better able to protect Taiwan’s interests if it cooperated more with China.
Among DPP supporters, 46.1 percent said they did not think a closer relationship with China would help the party protect Taiwan’s national interests.
Meanwhile, a poll by National Chengchi University’s Election Study Center showed that nearly 60 percent of respondents support consultations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The results showed that 59.5 percent of those polled supported such talks, while 18.7 percent did not.
The Mainland Affairs Council unveiled the results of the survey yesterday.
The results also showed that more than half of the respondents supported the four agreements expected to be signed on Tuesday in Taichung by Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) and his Chinese counterpart, Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).
The survey showed 65.3 percent supported an agreement on industrial product standards, inspection and certification, while 61.3 percent believed an agreement on agricultural quarantine inspections would help safeguard public health.
Fifty-six percent supported both sides reaching an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
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