June 18, 2013
No. 39
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today (June 18, 2013) announced the results
of its latest special survey of public opinion on the establishment of reciprocal
institutions between the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the Association for
Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS). The survey found that over 70% of the
public endorsed the government's policy to promote reciprocal institutions establishment
between the SEF and ARATS to directly serve and assist the people on both sides
(71.1%) and feel that this would be beneficial to mutual understanding and would
reduce hostility across the Strait (75.4%). Moreover, nearly 80% (78.7%) of the
public think that functions of the SEF institutions in the Mainland should include
issuing travel documents, notifying the Taiwan side of and enjoying visiting rights
to Taiwanese people whose freedom have been restricted through coercive measures
in the Mainland.
Regarding the government’s actions of formulating the draft "Statute Governing
the Establishment of Branches in the Taiwan Area by Mainland Area Institutions Handling
Affairs Related to Contact between People across the Taiwan Strait" based on the
Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area
and having it submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review, survey results indicated
that nearly 70% (67.9%) of the public endorsed the formulation of this bill to act
as the basis of authorization and management for future ARATS institutions established
in Taiwan. Furthermore, 72% of the public supported the act of submitting the draft
statute to the Legislative Yuan for review in advance so that future negotiations
between the administrative agencies and the Mainland will have already undergone
congressional oversight. Additionally, provisions of the bill stipulate for competent
authorities to heed overall national interests and the reciprocity principle in
the processing of the Mainland’s application to establish ARATS branch institutions
in Taiwan has gained support from 82% of the public, whom of which belive the bill
to be sufficient in maintaining national security and safeguarding social stability.
Survey results also showed that 64% of the public endorsed direct appointment
of government officials from either side to carry out business operations in their
reciprocal institutions under the principle of reciprocity. At the same time, the
majority of people hoped that the institutions will prioritize the issue of providing
necessary assistance in emergencies, followed by legal advisory services, issuance
of travel documents, notification to the Taiwan side of and enjoying visiting rights
to Taiwanese people whose freedom have been restricted through coercive measures
in the Mainland, cooperation among and services provided in economic, trade and
other exchanges, and document notarization and authentication. The government's
efforts to secure guarantee and convenience measures for the SEF institutions and
staff are supported by 84% of the public, while 80% of the public believe that regulating
respective staff dispatched to SEF-ARATS institutions on either side with codes
of conduct would be conducive to protecting social security in Taiwan. Furthermore,
over half (51.6%) of the public think that the ARATS institutions’ establishment
in Taiwan would have a good influence on Taiwanese society, while 62% of the public
think that the SEF-ARATS reciprocal institutions establishment would have positive
influence on Taiwan's foreign relations.
Since early this year, the government has actively promoted work related to the
establishment of SEF-ARATS reciprocal institutions in hopes of carrying out the
national vision of "Golden Decade, Cross-Strait Peace", meeting demands rising from
people’s exchanges across the Strait, and safeguarding the rights and interests
of the people. The public opinion survey fully reflects the fact that the great
majority of the public supports the government's policy course, acknowledges its
related planning and substantive actions, and believes the policy to be beneficial
to the development of both cross-strait and external relations. In the future, the
MAC will progressively promote SEF-ARATS reciprocal institutions establishment in
accordance to the principle of parity, dignity and orderly development. It will
also duly announce to the public the consensuses reached at every phase, gather
public opinions and reactions and use them as an important reference for the government's
promotion of this policy.
The MAC commissioned the Center for Public Opinion and Policy at the Taipei Municipal
University of Education to conduct a telephone survey of adults aged 20 and over
in Taiwan from June 5 to 8, 2013. A total of 1,077 valid samples were collected,
with a sampling error of plus or minus 3% at a 95% level of confidence.