Most Taiwanese, or 72.5 percent, are willing to fight for the nation in the event that China uses force to achieve unification, a poll released yesterday by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy found.
However, asked whether they would fight against China if it attacked after Taiwan declared independence, the percentage of respondents who said they would fight fell to 62.7 percent, while 26.7 percent said they would not fight and 10.6 percent had no response, foundation president Huang Yu-lin (黃玉霖) told a news conference in Taipei hosted by the government-affiliated foundation.
The results suggest that the proportion of Taiwanese opposing unification is larger than those advocating Taiwanese independence, said Eric Yu (俞振華), a research fellow at National Chengchi University’s (NCCU) Election Study Center.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
A breakdown of the responses by age group showed that young people are more willing to defend the nation against a Chinese invasion, he said.
Showed the statement: “There might be some problems with democracy, but it remains the best system available,” 75.3 percent of respondents agreed, while 14.1 percent disagreed.
The results showed that 53.2 percent of respondents are satisfied with Taiwan’s democratic practices, while 40.6 percent are dissatisfied, with respondents in their 20s being the most satisfied, and those aged 60 or older the most dissatisfied.
More than half of the respondents, or 55.3 percent, are optimistic about the future of Taiwan’s democratic politics, while 36.5 percent are pessimistic, the poll showed.
Young people in Taiwan appear more confident about democracy, a trend that runs counter to the findings in many Western countries, where young people tend to distrust democracy, due to inequality and other social problems, Yu said.
Nostalgia over the nation’s authoritarian regime, which many older Taiwanese seem to have, might account for their having less faith in democracy, he added.
Compared with previous surveys conducted by the foundation, as well as Academia Sinica polls, support for democracy in Taiwan has been rising since last year, which might be due to growing unease toward China because of its increased pressure on the nation, Academia Sinica Institute of Sociology Director Jay Chen (陳志柔) said.
Further discussion might be needed as to what constitutes “Taiwanese independence,” the main point of contention between Beijing and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government over the past few years, he said.
While most Taiwanese are willing to fight for the nation when it is threatened, more discussion is needed about war preparations and “all-out defense,” subjects less explored by the public, Chen said.
Asked about their political affiliation, 43.7 percent of respondents said they are independent or that circumstances change their preference, 26.3 percent identify with the DPP, 16.7 percent with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and 7.7 percent with the Taiwan People’s Party, while the rest affiliated with other political parties or had no response.
The poll, conducted from Aug. 10 to 15 by the NCCU Election Study Center, collected 1,299 valid responses — 874 via landline phone interviews and 425 via mobile phone interviews.
It has a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of 2.72 percentage points.
This story has been amended since it was first published.
FIREPOWER: On top of the torpedoes, the military would procure Kestrel II anti-tank weapons systems to replace aging license-produced M72 LAW launchers Taiwan is to receive US-made Mark 48 torpedoes and training simulators over the next three years, following delays that hampered the navy’s operational readiness, the Ministry of National Defense’s latest budget proposal showed. The navy next year would acquire four training simulator systems for the torpedoes and take receipt of 14 torpedoes in 2027 and 10 torpedoes in 2028, the ministry said in its budget for the next fiscal year. The torpedoes would almost certainly be utilized in the navy’s two upgraded Chien Lung-class submarines and the indigenously developed Hai Kun, should the attack sub successfully reach operational status. US President Donald Trump
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to start construction of its 1.4-nanometer chip manufacturing facilities at the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP, 中部科學園區) as early as October, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported yesterday, citing the park administration. TSMC acquired land for the second phase of the park’s expansion in Taichung in June. Large cement, construction and facility engineering companies in central Taiwan have reportedly been receiving bids for TSMC-related projects, the report said. Supply-chain firms estimated that the business opportunities for engineering, equipment and materials supply, and back-end packaging and testing could reach as high as
ALL QUIET: The Philippine foreign secretary told senators she would not respond to questions about whether Lin Chia-lung was in the country The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday confirmed that a business delegation is visiting the Philippines, but declined to say whether Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is part of the group, as Philippine lawmakers raised questions over Lin’s reported visit. The group is being led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Huang Chao-chin (黃昭欽), Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) chairman Joseph Lyu (呂桔誠) and US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) vice president Lotta Danielsson, the ministry said in a statement. However, sources speaking on condition of anonymity said that Lin is leading the delegation of 70 people. Filinvest New Clark City Innovation Park
DEFENSIVE EDGE: The liaison officer would work with Taiwan on drones and military applications for other civilian-developed technologies, a source said A Pentagon unit tasked with facilitating the US military’s adoption of new technology is soon to deploy officials to dozens of friendly nations, including Taiwan, the Financial Times reported yesterday. The US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is to send a representative to collaborate with Taiwan on drones and military applications from the semiconductor industry by the end of the year, the British daily reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “Drones will certainly be a focus, but they will also be looking at connecting to the broader civilian and dual-use ecosystem, including the tech sector,” one source was