More than 80 percent of respondents supported formalizing ties with the US, while the proportion advocating using the name “Taiwan” in the relationship reached a new high, a survey released yesterday by the World United Formosans for Independence (WUFI) showed.
The survey showed that 82.5 percent of respondents support Taiwan and the US establishing formal diplomatic ties, with 37.2 percent saying that Taipei should take steps toward the goal, WUFI chairman Chen Nan-tien (陳南天) told a news conference in Taipei, adding that 15.5 percent said it should be done as soon as possible, although in an orderly fashion.
The proportion of respondents who agreed that the title “Taiwan” should be used while normalizing ties was 38.3 percent, followed by “Republic of China (ROC)-Taiwan” at 23 percent, “ROC” at 20.8 percent, “Taiwan (ROC)” at 13.5 percent, Chen said, adding that only 8.6 percent said diplomatic relations should not be sought.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
The results clearly show what the vast majority of Taiwanese want, independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) told the news conference.
Lim called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to eschew a passive, indifferent attitude toward ties with Washington and instead strive to re-establish them.
WUFI deputy chairperson Bavaragh Dagalomai (謝若蘭), who is director of National Donghwa University’s Center for International Indigenous Affairs, said the survey showed that 39.4 percent self-identify as Taiwanese, while 22 percent identify as ROC nationals, which is about the same proportions as those who advocated using those names to restore ties.
Three point one percent identified themselves as Chinese; 20.8 percent said they are Taiwanese and ROC nationals, with Taiwanese prioritized; and 14.8 percent said both, without prioritizing Taiwanese, she said.
“From the current trend, we can see that ‘ROC’ is gradually being replaced, as more people favor ‘Taiwan’ as the nation’s name,” WUFI official Wei Tsong-jou (魏聰洲) said. “The survey shows that 44.2 percent advocate use of ‘Taiwan’ to replace ROC, although 47 percent still favor retaining ‘ROC.’”
The poll was conducted on Monday and Tuesday by Focus Survey Research Co.
It garnered 1,073 valid samples and has a margin of error of 2.99 percentage points.
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