Political science research consistently shows two things for Taiwan’s electoral politics. First, how people identify — as Taiwanese, Chinese, or both — remains paramount for understanding voting behavior. And second, one’s preference for independence, unification with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), or the status quo is still the most important political question for voters. Surveys constantly ask Taiwan’s citizens about these two topics. Rarely do we need to speculate about how Taiwan people identify or how they feel about Taiwan’s future, because we have consistent polling data on both.
Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science - University of California Irvine
For example, we know that Taiwan people overwhelmingly reject unification with the PRC, and the vast majority do not support immediate formal independence. At the same time, the number who identify as exclusively Taiwanese, not Chinese, continues to rise. However, these findings mask deeper questions that existing polls do not fully answer. Above all, what exactly does it mean to have a Taiwanese, not Chinese, identity?
Conventional wisdom holds that a central element of Taiwanese identity is the idea that Taiwanese culture is distinct from Chinese culture. But our new survey results challenge ethnocentric understandings of Taiwanese identity. We find that what unites Taiwanese people is not a rejection of Chinese culture, but a rejection of the PRC’s political system.
Taiwan’s complicated connection to Chinese culture
Our May 2021 survey of 1,000 Taiwan people yielded evidence that Taiwanese identity may not be primarily ethnocultural or ethnonational. Instead, Taiwanese have a complex relationship with Chinese culture.
The idea that Taiwan people reject unification out of a sense of ethnocultural difference from China finds little support in our survey. A majority of our respondents — 56% — said Taiwanese culture was similar to Chinese culture. While that perception varied across age groups, it was the strong plurality view in all age groups, and a majority view in all but one (age 30-39). The percentage that viewed the two cultures as dissimilar was roughly the same as the percentage that declined to answer.
People who identified as Taiwanese only were less likely to see a close cultural link with China than those who identified as both Chinese and Taiwanese, but even among those who identified as Taiwanese only, the proportion that saw Chinese culture as close to Taiwanese culture was larger than the proportion that rejected that view. (There were not enough respondents in our survey who chose “Chinese only” to produce meaningful results.)
We also asked about the cultural similarity between Taiwan and Hong Kong. We expected that respondents might feel a strong connection to Hong Kong. Their recent economic and social development is similar, and there is considerable sympathy for Hong Kong in Taiwan today. They also share the experience of forging distinct identities while being claimed by the PRC. Our expectation was not borne out; on the contrary, our respondents felt more cultural affinity with China than with Hong Kong.
The finding that Taiwan people recognize a cultural affinity between Taiwan and China challenges the idea that they reject unification because they feel culturally different from Chinese. Our data suggests that over-attention to ethnocultural factors in the analysis of Taiwan’s public opinion trends tends to obscure a more important driver of Taiwanese resistance to unification: antipathy toward the PRC’s political system and toward specific PRC policies.
Taiwan’s rejection of PRC politics
The PRC government celebrates its political and economic performance at home and its rising status abroad, but Taiwan people are not impressed. In our survey, 63% of respondents had a negative view of the PRC government; only 8% had a positive view. That’s especially true of young people, but there was no age group that saw the PRC government in a positive light:
Our respondents not only disliked the PRC government. They also believed it was a negative force in their own society in Taiwan: 66% rated the PRC’s influence on Taiwan as somewhat or very negative. Less than 10% saw a positive impact.
Those responses refer to the PRC government, not its people. Asked about Chinese people, the percentage with an unfavorable view fell to 42%, while the plurality — 46% — had neither a positive nor a negative perception of Chinese people. The poll doesn’t show much favorability toward Mainland Chinese people, but it also suggests that it is the PRC government that Taiwan people resent the most.
Explaining negative sentiment toward the PRC
Given the rhetoric out of Beijing (and the warplanes in Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone), many Taiwan people believe the PRC is hostile to Taiwan. We asked our respondents to rate the PRC’s friendliness toward Taiwan. The largest number (24%) chose the most unfriendly rating, and 72% rated China’s government as at least somewhat unfriendly. Fewer than 12% chose a response that suggested Beijing was even a little bit friendly to Taiwan.
Stronger: Adapting America’s China Strategy in an Age of Competitive Interdependence
By Ryan Hass
In short, Taiwan people overwhelmingly reject the PRC state, which they view as hostile and as a malign influence on Taiwan — but they do not reject Chinese culture in the same way.
Whatever Taiwan people’s cultural identity may be, they believe they are citizens of a state that is not the PRC. What makes their state different from the PRC — and from Taiwanese states in the past — is that it is a liberal democracy, one built and sustained by Taiwanese themselves. Our survey is not the first to suggest that commitment to democracy is an important value for people in Taiwan. Multiple waves of the Asian Barometer, World Values Survey, and Varieties of Democracy surveys show strong endorsem*nt of democracy in Taiwan.
What is Taiwanese identity? This is an ongoing question that Taiwan people are constantly negotiating and renegotiating. It is large and complex and a question that fills volumes of research. What our survey suggests, however, is that Taiwanese identity is not necessarily about rejecting Chinese culture. Instead, our findings suggest that rejecting the PRC as a political system is a central part of Taiwanese identity.
Identity in Taiwan is a popular talking point for both citizens and experts alike. But understanding exactly how identity matters — especially when it comes to electoral politics — is increasingly important in light of ongoing tensions across the Taiwan Strait. As the PRC’s policies and actions continue to become more aggressive towards Taiwan, our research suggests it will only drive Taiwan people away from wanting to identify as Chinese and make cross-Strait relations even more difficult.
Related Content
Order from Chaos
How are people feeling in the “most dangerous place on Earth”?
Shelley Rigger, Lev Nachman, Chit Wai John Mok, and Nathan Kar Ming Chan
Order from Chaos
Japan-Taiwan relations: A look back on 2021 and look ahead to 2022
In a biannual update to its surveys on core political attitudes in Taiwan, National Chengchi University's Election Study Center (ESC) found only 1.3 percent of respondents wanted unification with mainland China "as soon as possible," while a similarly low 5.1 percent desired formal Taiwanese independence at the ...
Chinese unification, also known as the Cross-Strait unification or Chinese reunification, is the potential unification of territories currently controlled, or claimed, by the People's Republic of China ("China" or "Mainland China") and the Republic of China ("Taiwan") under one political entity, possibly the formation ...
Today, the ROC (Taiwan) is a fully democratic society, with its own economy, currency, military, and elected officials. The Chinese mainland is ruled by the communist PRC government. Most countries have accepted the PRC as the leaders of China.
Tensions between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) in the 1950s resulted in armed conflict over strategic islands in the Taiwan Strait. On two separate occasions during the 1950s, the PRC bombed islands controlled by the ROC.
The army generally concluded that its lack of amphibious landing experience, lack of sophisticated landing craft, lack of armor, low attack-repelling ability, lack of international recognition, and lack of intelligence services contributed to their defeat.
We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means. We continue to have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The governments of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) oppose Taiwanese independence since they believe that Taiwan and mainland China comprise two portions of a single country's territory. For the ROC, such a move would be considered a violation of its constitution.
A: Yes, if you are a Taiwan tax resident. The 6.7 million AMT deduction does not apply to Mainland China income, but if you are a Taiwanese national you can offset your mainland China tax paid via the 兩岸條例.
The ROC was founded in 1912 in China. At that time, Taiwan was under Japanese colonial rule as a result of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki, by which the Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan. The ROC government began exercising jurisdiction over Taiwan in 1945 after Japan surrendered at the end of World War II.
The island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty of China and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China, which had overthrown the Qing in 1911, took control of Taiwan following the surrender of Japan in 1945. Japan would renounce sovereignty over Taiwan in 1952.
In December 1949, the Republic of China Armed Forces and the Kuomintang were defeated in the Chinese Civil War, forcing the Government of the Republic of China to relocate to Taiwan.
Why does China want Taiwan? Beijing views Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory - even though the Chinese Communist Party has never governed the island. Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to pursue "reunification" with Taiwan by peaceful means.
The Republic of China (ROC), commonly known as Taiwan, is governed in a framework of a representative democratic republic under a five-power system first envisioned by Sun Yat-sen in 1906, whereby under the constitutional amendments, the President is head of state and the Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) is ...
Currently thirteen states recognise Taiwan as the ROC (and thus do not have official relations with Beijing): Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, Holy See, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Paraguay, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Eswatini and Tuvalu.
The official name of Taiwan is the Republic of China although it has had various names, including Formosa . Taiwan views itself as the legitimate government for all of China. Neither Taiwan or the People's Republic of China, which is the formal name for Mainland China, recognize each other politically.
However, China's opposition, in combination with the “one China” policy of the majority of the UN member states, prevented the Taiwanese bids from even being treated properly in the UN. Apart from a few of Taiwan's diplomatic allies, no country was ready to give consideration to Taiwanese representation in the UN.
Bhutan is the only UN member state that has never explicitly recognised either the PRC or the ROC. The Republic of China considers itself to be the sole legitimate government of China (including Taiwan), and therefore claims exclusive sovereignty over all territory controlled by the PRC.
WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said U.S forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, his most explicit statement on the issue, drawing an angry response from China that said it sent the wrong signal to those seeking an independent Taiwan.
Taiwan, is after all an island a hundred miles off the coast of China. And America's military strong suits are in the areas of aerospace, maritime, and high technology—exactly the kinds of things we need we would need to defeat a cross-Strait invasion. These are also areas of strength for Japan, Taiwan, and Australia.
U.S. imports from Taiwan account for 2.6 percent of overall U.S. imports in 2020. The top import categories (2-digit HS) in 2020 were: electrical machinery ($19 billion), machinery ($18 billion), vehicles ($2.9 billion), iron and steel products ($2.6 billion), and plastics ($2.2 billion).
In the statement, Russia “reaffirms its adherence to the one-China principle, recognizes Taiwan as an inalienable part of China's territory, opposes any form of Taiwan independence, and firmly supports measures taken by China to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA ...
Both the ROC and the PRC still officially (constitutionally) claim mainland China and the Taiwan Area as part of their respective territories. In reality, the PRC rules only Mainland China and has no control of but claims Taiwan as part of its territory under its "One China Principle".
The controversy surrounding the political status of Taiwan or the Taiwan issue is a result of World War II, the second phase of the Chinese Civil War (1945–1949), and the Cold War. The basic issue hinges on who the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu should be administered by.
In fact, the purpose of time spent in California may have more weight in determining legal residency than the actual number of days spent. To classify as a nonresident, an individual has to prove that they were in the state for less than 183 days and that their purpose for being in the state was temporary.
The average salary in Taiwan is 129,000 TWD (New Taiwan Dollar) or around USD 4,203 per month (as per the exchange rates in May 2023). To give you a reference, the average monthly salary in the United States is USD 7900, which is significantly higher than in Taiwan.
To swiftly take the Island, China's PLA would need to transport many soldiers and great quantities of supplies — armored vehicles, weapons, ammunition, food, medical supplies and fuel — across the strait. This is only possible by sea, since airlifts and fleets of planes have limited capacity.
Taiwan has been inhabited for perhaps 30,000 years, but until the 16th century it was terra incognita. The island's aboriginal people occasionally traded with outsiders, but even the Chinese empire knew very little about this island, just 180 km off China's southeastern coast.
In 1949, after losing control of mainland China in the Chinese Civil War, the ROC government under the KMT withdrew to Taiwan where Chiang Kai-shek declared martial law.
A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would destroy world trade, and distance would offer no protection to the inevitable catastrophic blow to the global economy, the UK's foreign secretary, James Cleverly, warned in a set piece speech on Britain's relations with Beijing.
The U.S. Department of State, in its U.S. Relations With Taiwan fact sheet, states "[T]he United States and Taiwan enjoy a robust unofficial relationship. The 1979 U.S.–P.R.C. Joint Communiqué switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
The treaty prevented the CCP from attacking Taiwan and established the situation of long-term division of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. U.S. troops were stationed in Taiwan to establish military security to ensure Taiwan's development and turn Taiwan's crisis into peace.
Currently, there is no evidence of Taiwan possessing any chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons; but nuclear weapons from the United States have been deployed in the past during periods of heightened regional tensions with China, such as during the First Taiwan Strait Crisis.
Contemporary Taiwan is predominantly a mixture of Buddhist and Taoist, with 93% of the population identifying with these traditions. Only 4.5% identified as Christian.
In addition to its low labor costs, China has become known as "the world's factory" because of its strong business ecosystem, lack of regulatory compliance, low taxes and duties, and competitive currency practices.
The Republic of China Armed Forces is the national military of the ROC. Commonly referred as the Taiwanese Armed Forces to distinguish from the People's Liberation Army.
Freedom House rates Taiwan as among the most "Free" nations in Asia, with a 1 in both Political Rights and Civil Liberties (scale of 1-7, with 1 being the highest).
Taiwan is a great place to live due to its high living standards. The cost of living in Taiwan is relatively low compared to other Western and even Asian countries, making it an attractive destination for expats and travelers alike.
Since the adoption of UN Resolution 2758, Mexico has maintained official diplomatic relations with mainland China and unofficial diplomatic relations with Taiwan since 1972.
After the Japan–PRC Joint Communiqué in 1972, Japan no longer recognizes the Republic of China as the sole official government of China and the official diplomatic relations between the two countries were ceased. However, Japan has maintained non-governmental, working-level relations with Taiwan.
There are no official bilateral relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Holy See. The Holy See instead recognizes the Republic of China (Taiwan) as the representative of China ever since the establishment of relations with the ROC government in 1942.
The ROC government relocated to Taiwan in 1949 while fighting a civil war with the Chinese Communist Party. Since then, the ROC has continued to exercise effective jurisdiction over the main island of Taiwan and a number of outlying islands, leaving Taiwan and China each under the rule of a different government.
On 25 October 1945 in Taipei Zhongshan Hall, the Japanese government in Taiwan surrendered to the representative of the Republic of China, Chen Yi, the Republic of China formally receiving Taiwan.
The island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty of China and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China, which had overthrown the Qing in 1911, took control of Taiwan following the surrender of Japan in 1945. Japan would renounce sovereignty over Taiwan in 1952.
Taiwan strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims. Asked last October if the United States would come to the defense of Taiwan, which the United States is required by law to provide with the means to defend itself, Biden said: "Yes, we have a commitment to do that."
The governments of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) oppose Taiwanese independence since they believe that Taiwan and mainland China comprise two portions of a single country's territory. For the ROC, such a move would be considered a violation of its constitution.
The United States and Taiwan have deep and growing commercial, financial, and trade ties, which advance U.S. interests and help create economic opportunities in the United States.
Taiwan, is after all an island a hundred miles off the coast of China. And America's military strong suits are in the areas of aerospace, maritime, and high technology—exactly the kinds of things we need we would need to defeat a cross-Strait invasion. These are also areas of strength for Japan, Taiwan, and Australia.
The U.S. Department of State, in its U.S. Relations With Taiwan fact sheet, states "[T]he United States and Taiwan enjoy a robust unofficial relationship.
Address: 359 Kelvin Stream, Lake Eldonview, MT 33517-1242
Phone: +577037762465
Job: Product Hospitality Supervisor
Hobby: Gardening, Web surfing, Video gaming, Amateur radio, Flag Football, Reading, Table tennis
Introduction: My name is Manual Maggio, I am a thankful, tender, adventurous, delightful, fantastic, proud, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
