Taiwan's identity is increasingly ingrained in the minds of Taiwanese, as a result of the protracted impasse in cross-strait relations and China's military intimidation and diplomatic bullying of Taiwan, according to a survey released yesterday by the DPP.
The poll indicated that 53.6 percent of the respondents considered themselves Taiwanese ? the first time ever the figure exceeded 50 percent. Only 22.5 percent of those interviewed regarded themselves as Chinese.
Some 18.8 percent of the respondents saw themselves as both Taiwanese and Chinese.
The poll, with a sample size of 952, was conducted through telephone interviews on Monday and Tuesday after Vice President Annette Lu (
The survey's margin of error falls between plus and minus 3.1 percent.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Michael You (
In August 1995 when China conducted large-scale missile drills toward Taiwan, only 33.9 percent of ROC nationals considered themselves Taiwanese, whereas 33.1 percent of the people felt themselves Chinese, according to a poll conducted by the DPP at the time.
The official noted the change reflects Taiwanese repugnance toward Beijing's military menace and China's sustained attempt to squeeze Taiwan's international space.
Asked to comment a question regarding Taiwan's political future, 42.5 percent of the respondents thought Taiwan should be independent from China, while 19.9 percent preferred Taiwan to be re-unified with China, and 18.4 percent considered it best to maintain the status quo.
You said people identified with Taiwan more than China simply because of the country's liberalization and democratization.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
RSS