More than 80 percent of people agree that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other, a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday showed.
The survey reported that 82.2 percent of respondents supported the statement: “The Republic of China (Taiwan) and China are not subordinate to each other, which is the objective reality across the Taiwan Strait,” while more than 90 percent opposed China sending military aircraft and warships to conduct drills near Taiwan.
The survey also showed that 83.6 percent disagree with Beijing’s claim that “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” as well as its assertion that “Taiwan must adhere to the one China principle.”
Photo: Wu Shu-wei, Taipei Times
There were 89.6 percent who opposed China blocking Taiwan’s international participation and 89.3 percent wanted Beijing to refrain from interfering with Taipei’s bid to join into the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the survey showed.
Eighty-seven percent of respondents said that they opposed China’s disinformation campaign aimed at inciting divisions within Taiwan, while 78.1 percent disgreed with China’s statements that “Taiwan is colluding with foreign forces” to seek independence and that the nation is “provoking China to create tension in the Strait,” it showed.
More than 70 percent supported the government’s refusal to acknowledge China’s “one country, two systems” framework, 75.8 percent were willing to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, and 70.5 percent agreed that Taiwan should show the resolve to safeguard the nation’s security and cooperate with countries that have similar values, it showed.
Nearly 72 percent said they agreed that regulations to permit Chinese to visit Taiwan should be reinstated when the COVID-19 pandemic stabilizes, while 76.7 percent supported heightened measures to monitor Chinese who visit Taiwan, it showed.
MAC officials reiterated that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign country and that Taiwanese oppose Beijing’s deceitful “one China principle,” its constraining of Taiwan’s international operating space and continual military threats, which undermine world peace and security, and contravene international order.
Taipei has plans to upgrade the nation’s self-defense capability and deepen partnerships with the US, Japan and other democracies, the officials said, adding that Beijing should to stop its military intimidation and acknowledge Taiwan’s existence to allow positive development of cross-strait ties.
The survey was conducted by Taiwan Real Survey Co from Thursday last week to Sunday.
It polled people aged 20 or older, garnering 1,070 valid samples.
It has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Additional reporting by Jason Pan
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
RSS