The President of Taiwan has coyly repeated over and over again that he doesn't want a Ma-Hu meet up soon, that he didn't become Chairman to facilitate face time with the
Despite the obvious desire of the powers-that-be for a Ma-Hu Lovefest Nobel Prize Tour '09, only 47% of the population in a pro-KMT poll can be found to support it. Of course, the ploy is obvious -- remember when Ma promised he would never run for mayor of Taipei, and Dear Old Dad had to "beg" him? Oh, and then Ma said he would never be President and Chairman at the same time.... the Great Man shows his Greatness by benevolently acceding to the public's request and setting up a date with his ally across the Strait. It's the public pressure, you see.The poll found that 47 percent support a meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou and the mainland Chinese leader Hu Jintao. Only 16 percent said there is no need for such an encounter.
Regarding the timing of a possible Ma-Hu meeting, 42 percent said it should be held between 2010 and 2012, with 30 percent indicating that this year would be the most opportune time. A resounding 72 percent believe such an encounter could take place during the president’s first term. Only 14 percent said the meeting should take place after Ma’s mandate expires May 2012.
The survey also showed that 35 percent feel Hong Kong would be the best place to carry out such a summit. Around 30 percent hoped that Hu could come to Taiwan to meet Ma while 5 percent said the encounter should be held on the mainland. A total of 20 percent think the Ma-Hu meeting must be held in a territory separate from Taiwan or the mainland.
The rest of the poll is actually more interesting. In a survey from a pro-KMT paper....
...just under half think it will be positive, just over half think it should be agreed to, and 63% are not clear on its content. And that's from a paper that is institutionally committed to the other side.Separately, as to the signing of the proposed cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement, 58 percent of those polled said they are aware of the proposed trade pact.
Out of these, 37 percent said they understood its content, while 47 percent stated they were unclear about the agreement. A total of 17 percent said they have no idea about the nature of the pact.
Overall, 48 percent see the inking of the ECFA in a positive light, believing it will assist in Taiwan’s overall development. However, 24 percent fear that it might have a negative impact. Only 5 percent believe it will exert no influence.
The survey also revealed that 52 percent are in favor of inking an ECFA with the mainland. Only 25 percent said there was no need for such agreement, with 23 percent seeing the agreement as having no effect.
Ya gotta love a populace in which 63% don't understand it but 52% said they approve anyway. Further, even though no details are out, a psychic 37% slice of the population understands it. And people wonder why expats here drink so much...
Taipei Times had a Taiwan Think Tank poll the other day that had the "don't understand" column at 90%. Taiwan-Born American made many of the same points about that poll.
Today's totally unrelated rant: why are there so many idiot commentators on the Left and Right writing about this crisis implying that China's system "works" while the democracies have failed? For over a century at least, the western democracies have been wealthier, offered their citizens more rights, better quality of life, and greater wealth and freedom than China. One economic crisis and suddenly China has a "system" that kicks butt? What planet are these idiots living on?
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Daily Links
- Project 2049 has its recommendations out on Taiwan Defense: Deter, Defend, Repel, and Partner
- Typhoon/tropical storm due in a couple of days -- here's the track.
- Taiwan is finally Taiwan at an international event.
- Taiwan wipes floor with China in baseball rematch.
- Taiwan Trance goes to Shuilian Cave in Miaoli.
- The Straits Times warns that the KMT may face a revolt from local factions due to Ma.
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11 comments:
Ma does like to dress up as Emperor, doesn't he. He will refuse three times before benevolently accepting.
The survey also revealed that 52 percent are in favor of inking an ECFA with the mainland. Only 25 percent said there was no need for such agreement, with 23 percent seeing the agreement as having no effect.
I'm intrigued by the choices. If you don't love it, it's either "unnecessary" or has "no effect." No, "it's a piss-poor idea".
Wow...this post is filled with nice sarcasm. I like it.
As this poll is from the China Times, which is widely known for its political leaning, and as not even half of the participants think that a meeting should be held between Hu and Ma, I would call this a very pitiful showing for the unificationist agenda. And the fact that only 52 percent support the ECFA isn't a ringing endorsement either. I wonder if the China Times actually thinks this helps Ma.
Whoops. I meant the China Post.
Y'think AP has a stake in making us think that stuff about "one China"? After all, to this very day, they keep lying to us about something that supposedly happened in 1949.
And gee, how is it possible for those 37 percent to understand the content of the ECFA when the Ma government refuses to tell the public about its content?
Tim Maddog
I think if you looked at any economic agreement between any 2 countries, a majority would say they don't understand it. Really, unless you're an economist or the like, most people don't have the time nor inclination to try to understand an economic agreement between two different countries. The govt keeping a lot of it secret is a fairly normal negotiating tactic.
It may or may not prove beneficial but drawing conclusions based on the numbers that don't understand it is futile. How many Americans, Canadians and Mexicans understand NAFTA?
Re your other rant: isn't this cant just perpeutation of the "5000years of continuous Chinese civilizaton" myth?
It's easy to say democracies don't work, when people don't make them work.
demos = the common people
kratos = rule, strength
Anon: What a weird unhistorical statement to make. In the US, when NAFTA was being signed, the unions and the xenophobes were all up in arms about it.
"It may or may not prove beneficial but drawing conclusions based on the numbers that don't understand it is futile."
I disagree in this case. In general, you would be right. However, the numbers of people who really don't understand the basics of an ECFA would be particularly large because the government really hasn't explained to anyone what an ECFA entails. Even the discrimination-laden cartoons they came up with to explain the benefits of the ECFA have been criticized for not really explaining anything.
Therefore the lack of "understanding" of the people is a much greater concern than for NAFTA as those who really want to find out what NAFTA is can get plenty of information with some basic research.
I am glad the ill-designed survey questionnaire was commented by Robert R.
52% in favor of the signing of the ECFA
25% no need to sign (but there is no choice for STRONGLY AGAINST)
23% see the signing as having no effect (a redundant ECFA?, then why signing?)
So if someone is against the signing, since there is no choice for it, he will have to be the 25%
The title of the post caught my attention. Bravo! Michael.
Since the survey was so ill-designed, I'd suggest another title to the post: 麻婆臭豆腐 instead of the 麻婆豆腐
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