Date: January 17, 2019
MAC Press Release No. 4
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced the results of its latest public opinion survey today (January 17, 2019), where over 70% of the public disapprove mainland China's "one country, two systems" position (75.4%) and do not accept mainland China's "1992 Consensus" embedded under the "one China principle" (74.3%). In addition, nearly 80% (77.2%) oppose Beijing's refusal to renounce the use of force against Taiwan. The MAC stated that the survey shows the people of Taiwan insist on defending national sovereignty and Taiwan's democracy, and reject Beijing's recent initiatives to downgrade Taiwan's sovereignty.
The MAC stressed that insisting on the sovereignty of the Republic of China (ROC) is the greatest consensus in Taiwan’s society. The people of Taiwan have never accepted any proposition or plan presented by Beijing that would eliminate Taiwan's sovereignty. On the long-disputed "1992 Consensus," the survey showed that 50% of the public think there is no "1992 Consensus" between the two sides across the Taiwan Strait (50.6%); and 90% support the government's position that all sectors should protect the nation's overall security interests while promoting economic development (90.1%). In addition, more than 80% think that mainland China should pragmatically face the ROC and respect Taiwan's identity (86.7%); and that Taiwan's future and the development of cross-Strait relations must be decided by the 23 million people of Taiwan (89.3%).
The survey also showed that the majority of the public support President Tsai Ing-wen's "four musts" regarding the development of cross-Strait relations (76.1%) and the establishment of a three-part security network for cross-Strait exchanges (75.2%). Moreover, 80% of the public support the view that "political consultations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should be conducted on a government-to-government basis and must be authorized and monitored by the people of Taiwan" (81.4%). A similar percentage of respondents (83.1%) agree that the government should have more rigorous and comprehensive legislation in place before entering into political consultations and signing agreements between the two sides. The MAC indicated that in face of the changing dynamics across the Taiwan Strait and considering Taiwan’s national security and its overall interests, legal aspects of cross-Strait exchanges and interactions will also change accordingly, so as to establish a "democratic safety net" for cross-Strait interactions.
The MAC stressed that the government’s policy to safeguard the nation's sovereignty and dignity, protect the welfare of the people, and promote cross-Strait positive and normal interaction has never changed. Yet Beijing has doubled down its united front work efforts to divide Taiwan. It continues to manipulate the unilaterally defined "one China principle" and "one country, two systems" framework in the international community and between the two sides, which leaves no room for Taiwan’s survival. The ruling and opposition parties should stand in solidarity with the entire nation against this external force, not to echo CCP's position, and demand CCP authorities to pragmatically face the ROC and respect public opinion in Taiwan, in order to foster a positive cross-Strait relationship.
The MAC commissioned the Taiwan Real Survey Co., Ltd. to conduct a telephone survey of adults aged 20 and over in Taiwan from January 11 to 13, 2019. A total of 1,078 valid samples were collected, with a sampling error of ±2.98% at a 95% confidence level. The survey results were weighted after sample representativeness was verified by respondents' gender, age, education level, and registered residency.