More than 90 percent of Taiwan’s people oppose China’s military threat to Taiwan, an opinion poll shows. This is one of the findings released by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council on Thursday (Nov. 12).
In addition to 90.3 percent of the public opposing China’s threats of force against Taiwan, 87.1 percent oppose the Chinese Communist Party’s criticism of the U.S.-Taiwan arms sale as a way for Taiwan to collude with outside forces, undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait, and threaten necessary sanctions; 86.7 percent oppose “one country, two systems”.
Taiwan’s Land Commission pointed out that the survey shows that Taiwan people oppose the political framework and intimidation unilaterally set by the CCP. More than 70 percent of Taiwan people disagree with the “1992 Consensus”, in which the CCP adheres to the “one-China principle”, although 74.4 percent of Taiwan people oppose Taiwan’s position on independence; 75.9 percent of Taiwan people support the government’s adherence to sovereignty and the safeguarding of democracy and freedom. Rejecting the “one country, two systems Taiwan proposal” and maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait; 73.4% of the public support continued cooperation with the United States to strengthen national security and self-defense capabilities.
The survey was commissioned by the Land Commission and conducted by the Election Research Center of the National Chengchi University (ERC), Taiwan’s National Chengchi University (NCCU), between November 6 and 10.
According to data released by the Taiwan government, Chinese military aircraft frequently crossed the centerline of the Taiwan Sea to enter the air defense identification zone in Taiwan’s southwestern airspace starting in early September. Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan’s airspace either multiple sorties or single sorties. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said on September 21 that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory and there is no such thing as a “strait centerline. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Wu Zhaoxie on September 22 condemned China’s denial of the centerline in the Strait as “tantamount to destroying the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, just as the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law destroys one country, two systems.
The U.S. signed the U.S.-China Mutual Defense Treaty with Taiwan in December 1954, pledging to defend the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, and in 1955, the U.S. 13th Air Force formally participated in the coordinated defense of Taiwan and drew an air defense cordon over the strait. In 1958, after several air battles between Taiwan and China in the Taiwan Strait, the two sides seemed to have reached a tacit understanding on this center line, and since then conflicts have decreased.
In terms of long-term observation of the issue, the majority of people who advocate “maintaining the status quo in a broad sense” is still 87.6%. According to a survey conducted by Taiwan’s Land Commission, 74% of Taiwan people believe that the CCP is unfriendly to the Taiwan government, and 56.9% believe that the CCP is unfriendly to Taiwan people. However, there are also 32.6 percent of the public who believe that the current speed of cross-strait exchanges is “too slow”.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported on November 12, the Mainland Affairs Council held a regular press conference that afternoon, the Land Commission spokesman Chiu Chui-ching said, the Chinese mainland government’s attitude towards the government and people of Taiwan, the current polls show that the unfriendly public opinion in the high grade, “also provide cross-strait government reference”.
As for the future of Taiwan and who decides the development of cross-strait relations, 86.4 percent of Taiwan’s population believes that the 23 million people in Taiwan should have the final say to maintain long-term stability.
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