Taipei: More than 85 percent of Taiwanese citizens have expressed their support for maintaining cross-strait peace and stability as Taiwan's primary focus, as revealed by a recent survey conducted by Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC). This survey was released subsequent to the significant meeting between the leaders of China and the United States, which took place on May 14-15.
According to Focus Taiwan, the survey was carried out following U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to China, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During this state visit, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh shared insights into the survey at a routine news conference in Taipei. The meeting in Beijing was notable, with China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reporting that President Xi emphasized to President Trump that the concepts of Taiwan independence and peace across the Taiwan Strait are incompatible.
In a subsequent Fox News interview, aired on May 15, President Trump clarified the U.S. stance by stating that he was "not looking to have somebody go independent." Although the MAC survey did not specifically question respondents on their stance regarding Taiwan's independence, a significant 85.6 percent of the 1,073 respondents supported the sentiment that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait should be Taiwan's foremost priority. Meanwhile, 8.1 percent opposed this view, and 6.3 percent remained undecided or expressed no opinion.
The survey also sought opinions on recent geopolitical events, such as President Lai Ching-te's canceled visit to Eswatini in late April. The trip, intended for Taiwan's sole diplomatic ally in Africa, was reportedly obstructed by Beijing's interference in flight arrangements. The survey results indicated that 82.2 percent of respondents disapproved of Beijing's actions, with only 9.4 percent expressing approval, and 8.4 percent remaining neutral or undecided.
Commissioned by the MAC, the survey was executed by polling firm Ipsos. It was conducted via telephone interviews with adults aged 20 and above in Taiwan, from May 22-23 and May 25-26. MAC reported that 1,073 valid samples were collected, yielding a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.99 percentage points.