MAC Press Release No. 042
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today (October 26, 2023) announced the results of its third routine public opinion survey this year. The survey found that the overwhelming majority of respondents support the policy stances reiterated by President Tsai in her National Day Address this year, including the "Four Commitments," that peace is the only option across the Taiwan Strait, and that we must continue to construct peaceful and stable cross-Strait relations. The majority also support the government's positions on negotiating and handling economic and trade disputes through the existing mechanisms under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and cross-Strait agreements, on assisting businesses to respond to economic and trade pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and on resolutely opposing the CCP's "one country, two systems" and its military threats against Taiwan. The survey found that the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan affirms the government's commitment to safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Strait, deescalating cross-Strait tensions, and stabilizing the regional situation.
The MAC stated that, the present survey showed that more than 80% of the public support the president's emphasis in her National Day Address this year that "peace is the only option across the Taiwan Strait" (86.4%); that while persisting in efforts to ensure Taiwan's sovereignty, democracy, and freedom, we must be grounded in a respect for historical facts, and continue to construct peaceful and stable cross-Strait relations (84.8%); and that the government is willing to take the Taiwan public consensus as a basis, conditioned with dignity and reciprocity, with a process of democratic dialogue, and centered on maintaining the status quo, to develop with the Beijing authorities a mutually acceptable foundation for interaction and a path to peaceful coexistence (84.2%). Nearly 75% of the public support the "Four Commitments" (74.5%).
The MAC emphasized that, in the face of ongoing hybrid pressure from the CCP, nearly 90% of the public support the government's continued efforts to build Taiwan's self-defense capabilities, safeguard national sovereignty and Taiwan's democracy, and maintain the peaceful status quo in the Taiwan Strait (89.6%). Over 80% of the public support the government's position on negotiating and handling economic and trade disputes between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait through existing cross-Strait mechanisms (80.0%). More than 70% of the public support the position that trade disputes with mainland China should be negotiated and handled under WTO mechanisms and regulations (76.6%); a similar percentage of respondents also approve of the responses formulated by the government, including assisting businesses in the industrial upgrading processes and diversifying overseas markets (78.9%). Furthermore, nearly 90% of the public oppose the CCP military aircraft and warships not only operating around Taiwan but even intentionally crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait in an attempt to threaten the Taiwanese people by force (88.1%). More than 80% of the public disapprove of the CCP's "one country, two systems" proposal (85.3%).
Regarding the long observed issues, the MAC indicated that more than 80% of the public advocate for "maintaining the status quo defined in a broader sense" (86.2%) and support the position that the future of Taiwan must be decided by the 23 million people of Taiwan (83.7%). In addition, the majority of the public continue to believe that the CCP is unfriendly toward the government and people of Taiwan (68.8% and 52.6%, respectively), maintaining a stable long-term trend. The MAC emphasized that the government has maintained a consistent cross-Strait policy stance of not acting provocatively or rashly, not bowing to pressure, and remaining committed to stabilizing cross-Strait relations. The MAC called on the CCP to face up to both the public opinion in Taiwan and the objective truth that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other, rationally consider President Tsai's goodwill proposals and actions, resolve differences with Taiwan through communication and dialogue without preconditions, and have the courage to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait.
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 October 19 to 23, 2023. A total of 1,077 valid samples were obtained, with a sampling error of plus or minus 2.99% at a 95% level of confidence.