A recent survey conducted by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) reveals that nearly 70 percent of Taiwanese citizens support President Lai Ching-te’s rejection of China’s claims over Taiwan, as expressed in his National Day address. The survey, which included over 1,000 participants following Lai’s speech on October 10, found that 68.8 percent agreed with his statement that the Republic of China (ROC) has established its presence in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, and that the ROC and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are not subordinate to each other.
Additionally, almost 70 percent of respondents endorsed Lai’s assertion that “the PRC has no right to represent Taiwan,” according to Liang Wen-chieh, deputy head and spokesperson of the MAC. The survey also indicated that 87.3 percent of those interviewed opposed recent military drills conducted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) around Taiwan.
Following Lai’s address, China’s Foreign Ministry criticized him for allegedly promoting the notion of “Taiwan independence.” The MAC noted that the survey reflects a strong public consensus in Taiwan supporting Lai’s cross-strait policy, which firmly opposes the CCP’s coercive tactics and military threats.
Conducted by Ipsos from October 17-20, the survey included 1,073 valid samples, achieving a confidence level of 95 percent with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.99 percentage points.
