(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in Taiwan are unhappy with the administration of Ma Ying-jeou, according to a poll by Global Views. 52.3 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with the president’s performance, up 6.2 points since June.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in Taiwan are unhappy with the administration of Ma Ying-jeou, according to a poll by Global Views. 52.3 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with the president’s performance, up 6.2 points since June.
In 1895, following a military defeat, China ceded Taiwan to Japan. At the end of World War II, the island was returned to Chinese control. In 1949, as Mao Zedong’s communists were gaining prominence in mainland China, Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek established the Republic of China in Taiwan.
A series of democratic reforms implemented by Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui in the early 1990s allowed Taiwan’s residents to take part in free and fair elections. To this date, the People’s Republic of China considers Taiwan a "renegade province" and reserves the right to bring it under control.
In March 2008, Ma won the presidential election with 58.45 of the vote as a candidate for the Kuomintang Party (KMT). Frank Hsieh of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) finished second with 41.55 per cent.
The KMT advocates for maintaining the status quo with the Chinese central government, while the DPP has aggressively pursued independence from Beijing.
On Jul. 24, Taiwanese economic affairs minister Yiin Chii-ming said that Taiwan and China will engage in talks to draft an economic cooperation agreement in October, declaring, "We hope that the two-way negotiations can be wrapped up by the end of the year to pave the way for the next stage of tasks."
Polling Data
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with Ma Ying-jeou’s performance as president?
|
|
Jul. 2009 |
Jun. 2009 |
May 2009 |
|
Satisfied |
35.5% |
40.7% |
38.9% |
|
Dissatisfied |
52.3% |
46.1% |
48.6% |
Source: Global Views
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,005 Taiwanese adults, conducted from Jul. 14 to Jul. 16, 2009. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
