MAC public opinion survey: Over 60 percent of the public approve the outcome of negotiations during the "Chiang-Chen Talks"
The Mainland Affairs Council today announced the results of a public opinion survey. The survey results indicated that over 70 percent of the public support the handling of cross-strait exchange issues through institutionalized negotiations between the two sides. Over 60 percent of the public are satisfied with the overall outcome of the talks and believe that the three agreements signed and one consensus reached will have a "positive influence" on Taiwan's economic development
The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) concluded the third Chiang-Chen Talks last week in Nanjing, mainland China. The two sides successfully signed three agreements, including agreements on joint crime-fighting and judicial mutual assistance as well as on financial cooperation and a supplementary agreement on air transport. A consensus was also reached on Mainland investment in Taiwan. To understand the views of the Taiwan people on the third Chiang-Chen Talks, the MAC commissioned a polling firm to carry out the public opinion survey. The results of the survey indicated that the majority of the people positively assess the outcome of the talks on cross-strait negotiation issues. The percentage of the public satisfied with the "Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement" is even higher, at nearly 80 percent (78.8 percent), while over 70 percent (71.8 percent) of the people are satisfied with the "Supplementary Agreement on Cross-Strait Air Transport." At the same time, a majority of the public (58.1 percent) believe that the holding of institutionalized high-level talks twice a year is "just right."
When it comes to the closely watched issues of how the outcome of the talks will affect Taiwan's national sovereignty and interests, the survey results indicated that over 50 percent of the public support the view that the outcome upholds Taiwan's interests and will not dwarf the ROC's sovereignty. In this regard, the MAC states that since the results of the negotiations all pertain to protecting the rights and interests of the people and upholding the order of cross-strait exchanges, the government's adherence to the position of "putting Taiwan first for the benefit of the people" in cross-strait negotiations has met with approval from the majority of the people. In the future, the government will continue to pragmatically promote cross-strait negotiations step by step in a "mature, steady, and rhythmic" way. This is aimed at ensuring the rights and interests of the 23 million people of Taiwan under the premise of upholding Taiwan's sovereignty.
The MAC also inquired about the public’s views on the issues to be discussed during the next round of negotiations. According to the survey results, the issues that the public show more concerns as well as hope an agreement can be reached are, in descending order: "cross-strait quarantine and inspection of agricultural products " (57.2%), "avoidance of double taxation" (52%), "cross-strait cooperation on standard inspection, measurement and certification" (48.4%), and "cross-strait fishery labor cooperation" (26.9%).
The MAC commissioned China Credit Information Service (CCIS) to conduct this telephone survey of adults aged 20 to 69 in the Taiwan Area from April 28 to 30. A total of 1,068 effective samples were collected, with a sampling error of about three percent based on a 95 percent confidence level.
Appendix Ι: Summarized Results of the Public Opinion Survey on the Third "Chiang-Chen Talks" (April 28~30, 2009)
Appendix ΙI: Percentage Distribution of the Questionnaire on "The Public's Views on the Third Chiang-Chen Talks"(April 28~30, 2009)