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
Beijing could eventually see a full amphibious invasion of Taiwan as the only "prudent" way to bring about unification, the US Department of Defense said in a newly released annual report to Congress. The Pentagon's "Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2025," was in many ways similar to last year’s report but reorganized the analysis of the options China has to take over Taiwan. Generally, according to the report, Chinese leaders view the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) capabilities for a Taiwan campaign as improving, but they remain uncertain about its readiness to successfully seize
Taiwan is getting a day off on Christmas for the first time in 25 years. The change comes after opposition parties passed a law earlier this year to add or restore five public holidays, including Constitution Day, which falls on today, Dec. 25. The day marks the 1947 adoption of the constitution of the Republic of China, as the government in Taipei is formally known. Back then the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) governed China from Nanjing. When the KMT, now an opposition party in Taiwan, passed the legislation on holidays, it said that they would help “commemorate the history of national development.” That
Taiwan has overtaken South Korea this year in per capita income for the first time in 23 years, IMF data showed. Per capita income is a nation’s GDP divided by the total population, used to compare average wealth levels across countries. Taiwan also beat Japan this year on per capita income, after surpassing it for the first time last year, US magazine Newsweek reported yesterday. Across Asia, Taiwan ranked fourth for per capita income at US$37,827 this year due to sustained economic growth, the report said. In the top three spots were Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong, it said. South
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
RSS