Majority favors maintaining cross-strait status quo: survey

Taipei, June 20 (CNA) More than 65 percent of people in Taiwan are in favor of a cross-Taiwan Strait policy that facilitates the maintenance of the status quo, according to a survey released by Taiwan Brain Trust on Tuesday.

If maintaining the status quo is out of the question, 54.8 percent said they would support Taiwan declaring independence, the survey found.

It found that 58.7 percent people believe Panama's recent decision to cut off diplomatic relations with Taiwan will have a negative impact on cross-strait ties, 46.6 percent support a statement issued by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on the matter, and 51.5 percent are worried that other allies might sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Asked who should be held responsible for Taiwan losing two diplomatic allies to China within six months, 46.3 percent said Beijing is to blame for damaging cross-strait peace.

Another 35.5 percent blamed the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for refusing to recognize the "1992 consensus," and the remaining 18.2 percent did not have any opinion.

On their perception of China, 36.2 percent of respondents said they did not have any feelings for China, and 34.2 percent described their impression of China as "not good. Only 20.9 percent said they had a good impression of China.

On national identity, 57.5 percent of respondents identified themselves as "Taiwanese," 4.9 percent identified themselves as "Chinese" and 35.2 percent identified themselves as both. The remaining 2.4 percent did not express any opinion.

Given only two choices, 80.1 percent identified themselves as "Taiwanese."

Meanwhile, 88.2 percent of respondents were in favor of Taiwan becoming a normal country, while 75 percent saw the two sides of the Taiwan Strait as two different countries.

Over half (55.4 percent) supported enacting a new Constitution and changing Taiwan's official designation (which is currently the Republic of China), and 75.8 percent were in favor of Taiwan joining the United Nations under the name "Taiwan."

The survey was conducted via telephone on June 17-18 on 953 adults in Taiwan. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

(By Sophia Yeh and Y.F. Low)ENDITEM/ls