A poll recently commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council suggests that a majority of Taiwanese support an institutionalized negotiation mechanism to handle problems between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The survey found that 72 percent of respondents said they supported Taipei and Beijing tackling cross-strait problems via institutionalized negotiations, compared with 15.1 percent of respondents that opposed the mechanism.
About 62 percent said they were happy with the agreement on cross-strait medical and health cooperation signed last month, saying it could advance the development of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
The poll also showed that about 44 percent of respondents said the speed of cross-strait liberalization was just right, while nearly 36 percent said it was going too fast and 12 percent said it was too slow.
When asked about cross-strait relations, nearly 58 percent said cross-strait tensions have eased since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office in May 2008, compared with 26 percent who said tensions remained the same and 10.2 percent said the situation has become more tense.
Regarding the nation’s future, more than 87 percent still preferred to maintain the “status quo.” About 6 percent of respondents said they favored declaring independence as soon as possible and only 1.2 percent said they felt unification with China was the best course of action.
When asked about the Chinese government’s attitude toward the Taiwanese government, more than 51 percent said it was unfriendly, while 34 percent said it was friendly and 14.4 percent did not offer any opinion.
As for Beijing’s attitude toward the Taiwanese public, about 48 percent said it was unfriendly, compared with 39.3 percent who said it was friendly. About 12 percent of respondents said they did not know or expressed no opinion.
The poll, conducted by National Chengchi University’s Election Study Center, questioned 1,070 adults nationwide between Dec. 24 and Dec. 27. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.
In other developments, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) is scheduled to visit Matsu on Friday and Saturday to inspect transportation links with China, know as the “mini three links,” prior to the Lunar New Year.
Emphasizing that the activity is “routine,” the council said in a statement that Lai will visit the defense command post on Matsu and meet with Lienchiang County Commissioner Yang Sui-sheng (楊綏生) on Friday. She will then visit Nangan Island (南竿島) — the largest island in the Matsu chain — on Friday afternoon to examine how the mini three links with China. On Saturday, Lai will visit Beigan Island (北竿島).
The mini three links, established in January 2001, opened the door for residents of Kinmen and Matsu to travel to Xiamen in Fujian Province without restrictions. Penghu was not included in the transportation links until October 2008.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS