53% of Taiwanese Want 'Permanent Status Quo' in Cross-Strait Relations

About 5 in 10 Taiwanese people hope for a "permanent status quo" in cross-Strait relations between China and Taiwan, according to a recent survey.

Taiwanese media reported on the 21st that these results came from the Annual Cross-Strait Survey conducted by the poll center affiliated with the United Daily News via landline telephones from August 31 to September 6 among 1,075 adults aged 20 and older.

Following "permanent status quo" at 53%, respondents favored swift independence (18%), maintaining the status quo followed by independence (14%), maintaining the status quo followed by unification (7%), swift unification (4%), and others (4%).

Respondents supporting Taiwan's independence totaled 32%, a 7% increase from last year's 25%, while those supporting unification with China dropped to 11%, a 3% decrease from last year's 14%.

Regarding the handling of cross-Strait relations by pro-U.S. and pro-independence Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, 52.2% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction, while only 37.2% said they were satisfied.

Notably, 47.1% of respondents predicted that the United States would send troops to defend Taiwan in the event of a cross-Strait military conflict, up 6.1% from last year's survey (41%). Meanwhile, 43.3% said the U.S. would not dispatch troops, down 5.7% from last year (49%).

Regarding the expansion of private-sector exchanges and tourist travel between the two sides, 61.7% and 66.5% of respondents expressed support, respectively.

Commenting on these results, Chang Wu-ueh, director of the Research Center for Cross-Strait Relations at Tamkang University in Taiwan, explained that as Chinese authorities recently intensified rhetoric opposing Taiwan independence and promoting unification, intertwined with political tensions across the Taiwan Strait, sentiments favoring independence may have grown within Taiwan.

He analyzed that the 32% of respondents supporting Taiwan independence this year is a very high level, noting that when China and Taiwan push for respective unification and independence, radical voices tend to rise internally within Taiwan.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.