The number of people who refer to themselves as “Taiwanese,” as well as those who support Taiwanese independence, have hit historic highs, according to a survey by National Chengchi University.
The university’s Election Study Center poll showed that 60.6 percent of respondents regard themselves as Taiwanese, while 23.9 percent support Taiwanese independence.
The poll was part of a study that has been ongoing since 1992 on political attitudes, including on the unification-independence issue, national identity and political party preference.
The latest figures, a collation of results gathered last month, showed that the number of people self-identifying as Taiwanese has skyrocketed from 17.6 percent in 1992.
The results also showed a record-low of 32.5 percent of respondents who identified themselves as both Taiwanese and Chinese, down from 47.7 percent in 2004, while 3.5 percent said they consider themselves to be Chinese, down from 26.2 percent in 1994.
The results over the years show a continual upward trend in the number of people self-identifying as Taiwanese, with a major hike to 34 percent in 1996 when the first direct presidential election took place and a mark of more than 40 percent after the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government took office in 2000.
The figure soared to 50 percent in 2009 and to 60 percent last year amid extensive exchanges between Taiwan and China following the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) return to power in 2008.
Meanwhile, the number of respondents identifying themselves as Chinese was more than 20 percent in 1992; was first exceeded by the number who self-identified as Taiwanese in 1995; fell to less than 10 percent during the DPP administration from 2000 and 2008; and dropped to less than 5 percent after the KMT returned to power in 2008, the center said.
The latest survey showed that 18 percent of respondents said they would like to see the “status quo” maintained in cross-strait relations, while 5.9 percent said they would prefer an immediate declaration of independence. Both numbers represent a small increase from levels seen two years ago.
The survey showed that respondents supporting unification with China dropped to 9.2 percent, down 1.9 percentage points from last year.
Support for the DPP reached 26.7 percent at the end of last year, more than the 26 percent support the party garnered in 2000 when former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was in office, while support for the KMT was 22.9 percent, a low not seen since 2004.
DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said the survey shows that China’s hostility is driving Taiwanese away, as Beijing has never ceased suppressing the nation, despite the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) being accommodating toward Beijing.
The Ma administration should stop making policies that cater to Beijing’s needs, Lee said.
While support has risen for the DPP and dropped for the KMT, 45 percent of respondents said they are neutral or indifferent in terms of party preference, Lee said, adding that the results indicate a lack of trust in any parties by the public.
SAFETY RISK: The government is working to categorize countries based on their COVID-19 cases and prevention efforts, which would determine quarantine periods The government plans to rank countries based on their COVID-19 risks to determine how to treat tourists and other travelers from those nations once Taiwan reopens its borders, but it is still working out the categories, a top health official told lawmakers yesterday. “We would divide countries around the world into several categories. One category would comprise those countries with very few confirmed COVID-19 cases, such as New Zealand and Palau. Travelers from the countries in this category would only need to practice self-health management,” Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) told a Legislative Yuan seminar hosted by
CASH BOOST: Foreign spouses with residency permits are also eligible for the coupons, which can be bought at post offices or linked to digital payment options Stimulus coupons for Taiwanese and foreign spouses with residency permits can be ordered starting on July 1 and can be used from July 15 to Dec. 31, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. Aimed at boosting domestic spending, the coupons worth NT$3,000 (US$100.04) are to cost NT$1,000. “For our consumers, this is a very good deal as they get three times as much value for their money,” Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) told a news conference in Taipei. While the coupons are to have a wide range of uses, including at department stores, restaurants, book stores, night markets, beauty and hair salons, hotels, and to
SECURITY CONCERNS: The Telecom Technology Center ran black-box tests for the Executive Yuan on devices and software from Chinese, US and South Korean firms Network devices from several Chinese manufacturers are insecure and allow personal information to be leaked, testing commissioned by the Executive Yuan has shown. A variety of devices and software, including apps, from Chinese, US and South Korean manufacturers that are used by government agencies at the central and local level were subjected to black-box testing — in which the functionality of an application is examined without knowing about its internal structure, an information-security official said yesterday on condition of anonymity. The Telecom Technology Center conducted the tests, which simulated cyberattacks, to determine their resilience to the attacks, the official said. The center
Beijing is to ease a ban on foreign airlines starting on Monday next week, changing course one day after the administration of US President Donald Trump demanded that China reopen to US airlines or face curbs on its own carriers flying passengers to the US. Foreign airlines excluded from an earlier pact would be able to operate one commercial passenger flight to China per week, the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration said. It did not name any countries or carriers, but the move opens up a chance for US airlines to return for the first time in four months. While the timing might
RSS