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Many Taiwanese Want Full Independence
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Almost half of people in Taiwan think the territory should ultimately become an independent country, according to a poll by Global Views. 47.2 per cent of respondents agree with this statement, while 34.1 per cent disagree.
Support for Taiwan’s full independence is down only slightly since May.
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 Ying-jeou 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 Nov. 7, Jia Qinglin, a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), praised James Soong—chairman of the Taiwan-based People First Party (CMT)—for his strong stance opposing "Taiwan independence", and called for "unity" among people to promote better cross-straight relations.
Polling Data
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? - "Taiwan should ultimately become an independent country."
|
|
Oct. 2009 |
May 2009 |
Sept. 2008 |
|
Agree |
47.2% |
48.5% |
50.6% |
|
Disagree |
34.1% |
35.0% |
34.1% |
Source: Global Views
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,003 Taiwanese adults, conducted from Oct. 14 to Oct. 16, 2009. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.