More than half of Taiwanese feel closer cross-strait engagement and Taiwanese investment in China have benefited China more than Taiwan, a public opinion poll released yesterday found.
More than half, or 54.8 percent, of the respondents said China had received more benefits from increased bilateral engagement, while 18.4 percent said Taiwan was the beneficiary, 7.9 percent said the two sides benefited equally and 18.9 percent declined to comment, the Taiwan Indicator Survey Research (TISR) poll found.
“In comparison with a pair of similar polls that were conducted in 2004 and 2006, when the Democratic Progressive Party was in power, more Taiwanese see China getting the long end of the stick,” TISR general manager Tai Li-an (戴立安) said.
With regards to the impact of Taiwanese investment in China on Taiwan’s economy, 59.8 percent of respondents said it had not helped the economy, while 28.2 percent said it had been helpful and 12 percent declined to comment.
However, 49.9 percent of those who identified themselves as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supporters said they believed such cross-strait investment had been beneficial to Taiwan’s economy.
On the possibility of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), 49 percent of respondents said such a get-together would benefit China more.
That is more than twice the number — 20.1 percent — who said Taiwan would be the beneficiary.
With about 40 percent of Taiwan’s exports going to China and Hong Kong, 60.5 percent of respondents said Taiwan has become overly dependent on the Chinese economy.
Feelings about Ma’s pursuit of a service trade agreement with Beijing were mixed, with 42.1 percent of respondents saying the pact is unnecessary, 37.2 percent saying it is necessary and 20.7 percent declining to comment.
Asked whether the president should accelerate his efforts to promote closer engagement with Beijing before his term ends in 2016, 42.4 percent of respondents said no, while 37.4 percent said yes.
The survey also found Ma’s credibility rating has plunged to a new low — 17.1 percent.
The survey, conducted on Thursday and Friday last week, collected 1,003 valid samples and had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
COUNTERING THE PLA: While the US should reinforce its relations with partners and allies, Taiwan must invest in strengthening its defenses as well, Phillip Davidson said If influence in the Indo-Pacific region is one of the US’ core interests, then Taiwan serves as a cornerstone of US economic and security influence in the region, former US Indo-Pacific Command commander admiral Phillip Davidson said on Thursday. “China’s ... strategy is to supplant the US leadership role in the international order ... and they’ve long said ... that they intend to do that by 2050,” Davidson told the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in Washington. Davidson said he had previously told US Senate hearings on China’s military activities and possible threats in the Indo-Pacific region that a Chinese invasion of
RSS