More than 70 percent of respondents in a survey supported the nation's bid to join the UN under the name "Taiwan," a Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) official said yesterday.
The survey, commissioned by the council, was conducted by National Chengchi University's Election Study Center. The poll was conducted by telephone and participants were randomly chosen adults. Between Aug. 10 and Aug. 12 1,095 valid samples were collected.
Quoting the survey results, MAC Vice Chairman Johnnason Liu (
In addition, 81.5 percent of the respondents said they favored maintaining the "status quo," and 67.8 percent said they did not agree with the "one country, two systems" model by which China wants to rule Taiwan.
The survey also found that 78 percent of respondents did not accept Beijing's claim that Taiwan is a province of China and therefore is "not qualified to apply for membership of the United Nations."
Taiwan is an independent nation and the government is promoting the bid for UN membership under the name "Taiwan" based on public opinion, Liu said, calling on the international community to support Taiwan's application.
Last Tuesday, 15 of Taiwan's diplomatic allies put forward a motion at the UN pressing the world body to deal with Taiwan's membership application according to established procedures.
The motion, which the allies said they hope will be included on the agenda of the upcoming annual session of the UN General Assembly, was submitted by the ambassadors to the UN from Gambia, Swaziland and Tuvalu.
The motion's other sponsors were Belize, Burkina Faso, Honduras, Kiribati, Malawi, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sao Tome and Principe, and the Solomon Islands.
The 62nd regular session of the General Assembly is set to open on Sept. 18 in New York. The General Committee is expected to meet on Sept. 19 to finalize the agenda.
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