According to the latest poll conducted by TVBS television network, 71 percent of Taiwanese want an independent Taiwan while only 18 percent hope for unification with China.
In the "Ma-Xi Summit and National Identity" poll, 64 percent of respondents said they supported maintaining the status quo (de facto but not de jure independence); 24 percent said they tended toward formal independence and 7 said they wanted unification.
When only given two options, however, 71 percent said they'd rather declare independence than join China. 18 percent said unification was preferable and the remainder said they had no opinion.
Several commentators have opined that the three-option phrasing for independence vs. unification inquiries are inherently skewed, since the "status quo" essentially refers to an independent Taiwan minus the political, economic and even military ramifications posed by officially declaring it. By this line of reasoning, 88 percent of ROC nationals would support independence.
Asked if they were Taiwanese or Chinese, 78 percent said they were Taiwanese and 13 percent identified as Chinese. When a third option was introduced, 55 percent said they were simply Taiwanese, 38 percent said they were both Taiwanese and Chinese, and 3 percent said they were Chinese.
In March 2005, China enacted a law authorizing the use of force against Taiwan if it moves toward formal independence .
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