Surprise New Taiwan Poll

[PeterRS]

In a very interesting twist, the country-wide Taiwan electorate yesterday voted against a highly controversial bill that would have ousted from the yuan (parliament) one fifth of the voters in the legislature, all from the China-leaning KMT, the opposition Nationalist party. Supporters of the pro-independence leaning Democratic Alliance Party which won last year's general election had forced recall votes. All the recall votes failed.

As KMT Chairman Eric Chu told reporters -

"“All Taiwanese people chose stability, chose that the government should focus on getting things done, rather than engaging in bitter political fighting,”

This vote and a poll last year should be a reminder to all outside the island that Taiwanese remain deeply split on the independence platform. Many outside commentators, especially in the corridors of power in Washington, push the independence agenda while failing to accept that a majority of voters, although still very small, does not want independence. 

[Travelingguy]

I think that a majority of voters do not want to be attacked by China.

[PeterRS]

On 7/27/2025 at 9:48 AM, Travelingguy said:

I think that a majority of voters do not want to be attacked by China.

That is not what the poll was about. As I wrote, a majority of the people of Taiwan, an island I visit 3 or 4 times each year, have voted regularly in poll after poll that they do not want independence. That is what matters to them and I suspect - but obviously do not know - that any form of declaration of independence is what China is afraid of. Why is it almost always foreigners who bring up the issue of Taiwan independence and who play the Taiwan card, usually for their own benefit?