A majority of respondents to a poll released by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday supported the landmark meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
The survey was conducted by the Apollo Survey and Research Co between 5pm and 10pm on Saturday at the behest of the KMT caucus, following the historic Ma-Xi meeting that took place at 3pm on the same day in Singapore.
It was released amid divided opinions on the potential impacts of the first official meeting between leaders from the two sides of the Taiwan Strait since 1949, when the KMT regime retreated to Taiwan after its defeat by the Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War.
Photo: CNA
The poll showed that about 46.1 percent of respondents supported the Ma-Xi meeting, compared with 21 percent who did not.
Of those polled, 48.1 percent said that they believed the meeting would be conducive to promoting cross-strait peace, while 29.1 percent thought otherwise.
The survey also found that 42.4 percent of respondents did not agree with the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) criticism of the meeting as a ‘back-room deal’ detrimental to Taiwanese democracy, while 27.4 percent sided with the DPP’s comments.
Of the respondents, 38.7 percent said they have confidence in the KMT’s ability to maintain cross-strait peace, while 14.9 percent believed the DPP would be more competent.
The survey, which collected 736 valid samples, had a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.
KMT Legislator Lee Guei-min (李貴敏) said the poll results indicate that the Ma-Xi meeting is backed by most Taiwanese.
“Taiwan needs more positive energy, not remarks that root against the nation’s interests,” Lee said.
DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) must have been so blinded by the brilliance of the Ma-Xi meeting, that she is unable to appreciate that a political foundation has been set that ensures the future security of Taiwanese, KMT Lawmaker Alex Tsai (蔡正元) said.
Alex Tsai also compared a DPP spokesperson with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as the spokesperson left a news conference on Saturday evening in Taipei after making a statement on the Ma-Xi meeting without taking questions from reporters.
However, DPP Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) questioned the credibility of the poll, as the Apollo Survey and Research Co is affiliated with the Want Want China Times Group, which is widely perceived as pro-China.
“The KMT might as well just entrust the Chinese Communist Party to do its surveys,” Tuan said.
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