Identification as Taiwanese rather than Chinese has surged to 83.2 percent amid the COVID-19 outbreak that began in Wuhan, China, the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation said yesterday.
Asked whether they identify themselves as Taiwanese or Chinese, or have other opinions, 83.2 percent of respondents to a poll conducted by Focus Survey Research said Taiwanese, 5.3 percent said Chinese, 6.7 percent said both and 4.8 percent had no opinion or refused to answer.
The results showed that identification as Taiwanese has reached a new high since the foundation’s first such poll in 1991, while identification as Chinese or Chinese and Taiwanese was down by half from a poll in September last year, foundation chairman Michael You (游盈隆) said.
Screen grab from the Wed site of the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation
Neither Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) reiterations of Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula, nor last year’s protests in Hong Kong led to a significant increase in identification as Taiwanese, which remained at about 70 percent, You said.
There has been an obvious increase since the COVID-19 outbreak, and such change can be seen as significant academically and politically, he added.
Respondents were also asked about the government’s handling of cross-strait issues during the outbreak, with nearly 70 percent voicing approval, and 10.8 percent saying they disapproved, the foundation said.
It is the best rating of the government’s cross-strait policies since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office in May 2016, the foundation said.
Tsai’s overall approval rating was 68.4 percent, compared with 16.5 percent who disapproved, the president’s second-best showing in a foundation poll, while Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) received a 69.4 percent approval rating.
More respondents said they liked the Democratic Progressive Party (41.1 percent), than the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) (12.5 percent), the Taiwan People’s Party (9.3), the New Power Party (5.1), the Taiwan Statebuilding Party (1.9) and the People First Party (0.5).
However, 27.2 percent said that they did not favor any party and 0.9 percent said none of the above.
The nationwide poll was conducted on Monday and Tuesday last week and collected 1,079 valid samples. It had a margin of error of 2.98 percentage points.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS