The majority of the nation’s students do not know how many diplomatic allies Taiwan has, according to a poll released by the King Car Education Foundation.
Only 35 percent of respondents identified the correct answer: “Between 21 and 30,” according to the poll, which surveyed junior and senior high-school students and university students.
A total of 65 percent of respondents either got the answer wrong or said they did not know, the results show.
The top three countries that students believe have the biggest influence on Taiwan’s politics and security are the US with 82 percent, China with 65 percent and Japan with 54 percent.
Japan was voted the friendliest country toward Taiwan for the fourth consecutive year, followed by the US, and Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in Africa and Central and South America.
Only 11 percent of respondents said that China is the friendliest country toward Taiwan, but 77 percent said they believe China has the biggest influence over Taiwan’s economic development, followed by the US, Japan and South Korea.
Meanwhile, the international issues that Taiwanese students care most about are climate change (63.6 percent), ecological conservation (44.9 percent), human rights (36.9 percent), the European and Southeast Asian refugee crises (30.5 percent) and cultural preservation (24.8 percent).
The respondents were asked which country — Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia — did not participate in a May meeting held to address the Rohingya refugee crisis.
Only 15 percent of respondents identified the correct answer of Singapore, according to the poll.
Soochow University political science professor Liu Bih-rong (劉必榮) said that a rising Southeast Asia could present opportunities for Taiwan, but the survey shows that Taiwanese students have a poor understanding of the region.
The lack of motivation to learn more about the region, coupled with fragmented reports in the media are the main reasons, he said.
The poll collected a total of 2,352 valid samples. It had a confidence level of 97 percent and a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS