Survey indicates many support Taiwan talks with PRC, US

This article was published by the Taiwan Headlines on April 27, 2006. It reports that according to a recent survey, as many as 77 percent of the people in Taiwan are in favor of three-party talks by Taiwan, the United States and China, to discuss issues regarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The survey was conducted by the Decision Marketing Research for the pro-independence Taiwan Thinktank. According to the survey, 67 percent of the respondents are aware of Chinese President Hu Jintao's recent visit to the United States and his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush.

According to the survey, 60 percent of the respondents do not believe Hu's statement that "China has always been committed to maintaining world peace and stability". Meanwhile, 50 percent of the respondents do not think China will grant its people the freedom of assembly, speech and religion.

According to the survey, only 26 percent of the respondents think the Bush-Hu meeting has damaged Taiwan-U.S. relations. If China ever uses force against Taiwan, 52 percent of the respondents think that the United States will send troops to defend Taiwan.