Date: August 1, 2019
MAC Press Release No. 73
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced the results of the routine public opinion survey today (August 1, 2019). The results indicated that nearly 90% of the public disapprove mainland China's "one country, two systems" initiative (88.7%) and oppose Mainland China's refusal to commit to renouncing the use of force against Taiwan (87.8%). The respondents also strongly disagree with the Mainland China's long-term diplomatic suppression of Taiwan (88.4%). The percentages of the public feeling that the Chinese authorities are unfriendly towards the government of the Republic of China (ROC) and people of Taiwan has raised to 65.5% and 51.4%, respectively. The MAC stressed that rejection of the "one country, two systems" has constituted a "Taiwan consensus." Taiwanese people will never accept Mainland China's military aggression and diplomatic suppression of Taiwan.
The survey also found that more than 80% of the public support the government's policy to enhance Taiwan's self-defense capability, refuse the "one country, two systems model for Taiwan," and safeguard national sovereignty and Taiwan's democracy (80.2%). A similar percentage oppose Beijing's united front work to infiltrate, win over, and divide Taiwanese society (85.9%). In addition, more than 60% of the public approve the five amendments to national security related legislations to gradually improve the "security network for democracy" (61.4%). In sum, the overall findings reflect majority support for the government’s policies and actions taken to counter efforts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to eliminate the ROC.
Furthermore, more than 70% of the public support President Tsai Ing-wen's approach to upholding democracy, protecting sovereignty, and never bowing to pressure (73.9%). With nearly 90% of the public agree that Taiwan's future and the development of cross-Strait relations must be decided by the 23 million people of Taiwan (88%), there are also more than 80% of the public approve President Tsai's claim that Taiwan's 23 million people have the right to participate in international affairs without being obstructed by any political preconditions (84.8%).
Regarding the recent million-person protests in Hong Kong over proposed amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, over 60% of the public approve of the government's support for the efforts by the Hong Kong people to protect their freedom, rule of law, and human rights (64.7%). On other long observed cross-Strait issues by the MAC, the survey indicated that a great majority of the people are still in favor of "maintaining the status quo defined in a broad sense" (87.3%), maintaining a stable trend over the long term.
The MAC stressed that the ROC is a sovereign state. The CCP's so-called "one country, two systems" formula is full of lies and deceptive façade. Its crude act working counter to democracy and peace is the biggest cause of the disruptions undermining cross-Strait peace. The government is firmly dedicated to strengthening Taiwan's self-defenses and improving mechanisms for democracy. It will never allow Taiwan’s sovereignty, security, freedom and democracy to be encroached. The government also calls upon all sectors in Taiwan to unite in countering the Mainland China's political plots to advance unification and unscrupulous actions to infiltrate and divide Taiwan.
The MAC commissioned the Election Study Center of National Chengchi University to conduct a telephone survey of adults aged 20 and over in Taiwan from July 25 to 29, 2019. A total of 1,095 valid samples were obtained, with a sampling error of ±2.96% and 95% confidence level.