Nearly 65 percent of respondents in a poll by the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) said that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are “independent, sovereign nations that do not belong to each other.”
According to the poll, 64.97 percent said that both sides of the Strait are sovereign entities, while 18 percent said that both sides are “two political entities that belong to one China.”
Just more than 17 percent said they had no clear response to the issue.
Regarding the cross-strait policies of presidential candidates, the poll showed that 13.67 percent of respondents supported Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) “one China, common interpretation,” while 59.48 percent said they do not support it.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) proposed cross-strait policy of “maintaining the status quo” was supported by 64.97 percent of respondents, an increase of 5.58 percentage points from the 59.39 percent in last month’s poll.
Meanwhile, 11.36 percent said they do not support Tsai’s policy, a 4.72 percentage point drop from last month’s 16.08 percent, the poll showed.
People First Party (PFP) presidential candidate James Soong’s (宋楚瑜) proposed policy of “maintaining the ‘status quo’ under the 1992 consensus” had 36.38 percent support, while 30.89 percent said they do not support it and 32.72 percent said they have no opinion on Soong’s proposal.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Cross-analysis of political inclinations showed that 44.1 percent of KMT supporters said the two sides of the Strait are “independent, sovereign nations that do not belong to each other,” while 37.98 percent said both sides are “two political entities belonging to one China,” the poll showed.
Among DPP supporters polled, 81.07 percent said they back the concept that both sides of the Strait are sovereign entities, while 11.24 percent said both sides are “political entities belonging to one China.”
In terms of demographics, the poll showed that most young people supported the concept that both sides of the Strait are “independent, sovereign nations that do not belong to each other,” with 72.34 percent aged from 20 to 29 in favor and those aged from 30 to 39 showing 71.72 percent support.
Respondents aged 40 to 49 showed 66.04 percent support for sovereign independence and those aged from 50 to 59 years old showed 64.79 percent support.
In the age group 60 to 69 there was 63.64 percent support for the concept, while among those above the age of 70 support stood at 51.02 percent, the poll showed.
The poll was conducted by the Liberty Times polling center on Monday through Wednesday nights.
A total of 1,039 valid responses were collected from people aged 20 or over.
The survey had a margin of error of 3.04 percentage points. Respondents were selected by random sampling of residential phone numbers nationwide.
The survey was financed by the Liberty Times.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS