MAC Press Release No. 031
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today (July 13, 2023) announced the results of its second routine public opinion survey this year. The survey found that the overwhelming majority of respondents oppose the continuous use of force by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to threaten and pressure Taiwan, support the government's policy on strengthening self-defense capabilities, and believe in the importance to Taiwan of the international community’s successive statements on maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait and opposing disruption to the status quo. Additionally, actions by the CCP and Hong Kong to strengthen national security measures, tighten social controls, and arbitrarily detain Taiwanese people have attracted attention and caused resentment among the people of Taiwan.
The MAC emphasized that the Taiwanese people firmly oppose the CCP's ongoing hybrid pressure on Taiwan. The survey indicated that more than 80% of the people disapprove of the "one country, two systems" proposal of the CCP (84.3%). Nearly 90% of the public disapprove of the continued operations of CCP military aircraft and warships around Taiwan and CCP military’s intentional crossing of the median line of the Taiwan Strait aimed at threatening the Taiwanese people with force (89.9%). In light of the CCP’s coercion of Taiwan, over 90% of the public support the government's continued enhancement of our self-defense capabilities, protection of our national sovereignty and Taiwan's democracy, and upholding a non-provocative cross-Strait policy stance to maintain the peaceful status quo across the Taiwan Strait (90.1%). A similar percentage of respondents also believe in the importance to Taiwan of the successive statements made by senior officials in major countries worldwide on the need to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait and oppose any disruption of the status quo (87.1%). Furthermore, over 60% of the public believe that the CCP’s tight grip on Hong Kongers’ freedom of speech, assembly, and other basic rights has left 'one country, two systems' in Hong Kong existing in name only (63.6%).
The MAC stated that nearly 90% of the public support the government's position that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should interact in a rational, equal, and mutually respectful manner and seek to resolve our differences through communication and dialogue without preconditions (89.3%). Over 80% of the public support that cross-Strait exchanges should be conducted in the spirit of equality, dignity, and in accordance with laws and regulations to prevent the CCP's united front infiltration (81.0%). More than 70% of the public support the government's approach of strengthening safety management for mainland Chinese people coming to Taiwan while gradually easing border controls (76.8%). Additionally, regarding the CCP’s import bans on Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products on the grounds of discovering pests and viruses, over 80% of the public support the government's demand that the CCP provide notifications to Taiwan in accordance with cross-Strait agreements (80.1%). The survey indicated that mainstream public opinion in Taiwan affirms the government’s policy position on promoting healthy and orderly cross-Strait exchanges.
Regarding the long observed issues, the MAC indicated that nearly 90% of the public advocate "maintaining the status quo defined in a broader sense" (88.9%). Over 80% of the public support the government's position that Taiwan's future and the development of cross-Strait relations must be decided by the 23 million people of Taiwan (82.6%), maintaining a stable long-term trend. Furthermore, 69.6% and 55.7% of the public believe that the CCP’s attitude is unfriendly toward our government and our people, respectively. The MAC stated that the government has maintained a consistent cross-Strait policy stance and will continue to firmly adhere to the "Four Commitments" as it steadily promotes cross-Strait affairs, staunchly uphold national sovereignty and security, and resolutely defend the interests of Taiwan. The MAC also called on the other side of the Taiwan Strait to cease its negative actions towards Taiwan and improve cross-Strait relations in a pragmatic and rational manner.
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 June 28 to July 3, 2023. A total of 1,081 valid samples were obtained, with a sampling error of plus or minus 2.98% at a 95% level of confidence.