A majority of people in Taiwan support President Lai Ching-te’s cross strait policies and national security reforms to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, according to a poll released by the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council May 29.
The survey shows that 89 percent of the respondents agree with the government’s position that the parties on either side of the Taiwan Strait should exhibit mutual respect and engage in dialogue without any political preconditions. Nearly 87 percent support Lai’s call for China to squarely face the fact of the ROC (Taiwan)’s existence and understand that the people of Taiwan want to live a free and democratic life with respect for human rights, while 70.5 percent support the government’s national security legislative reforms intended to counter infiltration from Beijing.
According to the MAC, around 79 percent of respondents object to China’s insistence at international meetings and events that other countries observe its so-called one China principle. In addition, over 87 percent support the government’s statement that Taiwan should not be excluded from global health mechanisms such as the World Health Organization, while nearly 79 percent disapprove of China’s attempts to prevent Taiwan from participating in the World Health Assembly, the WHO’s decision-making body.
The MAC said the government will maintain its current cross-strait policies, which center the status quo and the promotion of positive interactions. It called on China to accept the reality that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other, to resolve disputes through communication and to jointly pursue mutual benefits, peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait.
The MAC surveyed 1,074 individuals aged over 20 nationwide by telephone call May 22-24. The poll has an error margin of just under 3 percent and a confidence level of 95 percent. (YCH-E)
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