A record-high number of respondents in a recent survey said they did not think Taiwan should unify with China following the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).
The poll, conducted by the Global Views Survey Research Center, found that 69.9 percent of respondents said the two sides should not be unified after the pact was inked last month.
That is the highest figure since the center began conducting the polls on the issue in February 2006. Only 15.6 percent said the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should unify.
Even among pan-blue supporters, about 60 percent said they did not support unification with China and only 30.6 percent said they did.
Asked whether Taiwan should become a new, independent country, 49.1 percent said it should — the second-highest level since February 2006. Only 34.4 percent said it should not.
The survey also found that if both sides had similar economic, political and social conditions, 66.1 percent of respondents said it would be unnecessary for the two sides to unify.
The figure was an increase of 0.6 percent from last month. Only 12.1 percent said it was necessary and 21.8 percent did not express an opinion.
Overall, respondents were largely in favor of maintaining the “status quo” — 38.2 percent.
The second-largest group of respondents favored seeking independence as soon as possible (18.5 percent), while maintaining the “status quo” permanently drew 13 percent of respondents, maintaining the “status quo” before working toward independence attracted 10.5 percent, maintaining the “status quo” before unifying with China drew 4.7 percent and unification as soon as possible attracted just 2.8 percent.
More than 12 percent of respondents said they did not have a specific position on the matter.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
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