Most People in Taiwan Say They Are Taiwanese, Not Chinese: US Survey

Supporters of Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te celebrate the election returns in Taipei, Taiwan, on Jan. 13, 2024. (Melina Chan/The Epoch Times)

Most people in Taiwan identify themselves as Taiwanese instead of Chinese, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.

Only 3 percent of people in Taiwan consider themselves as primarily Chinese, the survey found, while 28 percent consider themselves as both Taiwanese and Chinese. The overwhelming majority, or 67 percent, consider themselves as primarily Taiwanese.

The survey’s findings indicate a growing sense of pride in the Taiwanese identity. Decades ago, significantly more people identified themselves as Chinese than fully Taiwanese. The trend is the result of more people in Taiwan having come to appreciate the island’s hard-won democracy and the rights and freedoms that they enjoy, amid years of communist China trying to woo the Taiwanese people into accepting its rule with a “carrots and sticks” approach.

Age was a significant factor in the survey. For adults aged between 18 and 34, 83 percent see themselves as primarily Taiwanese, 15 percent identify as both Taiwanese and Chinese, and only 1 percent identify as primarily Chinese. For the age group of 35 years and older, 61 percent of respondents see themselves as primarily Taiwanese, while 4 percent say they are primarily Chinese.

“Identity in Taiwan is tied to politics. Those who consider themselves primarily Taiwanese are most likely to align themselves with the DPP,” the survey reads, referring to Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party. The current main opposition party is the pro-Beijing Kuomintang Party (KMT).

Of those who identify as primarily Taiwanese, 29 percent of respondents aligned with the DPP, 9 percent with KMT, 15 percent with other parties, and 32 percent didn’t feel close to any party.

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On Jan. 13, Taiwan’s voters went to the polls to elect a new president and legislature. DPP presidential candidate, current Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te, secured about 40 percent of the ballot to become the next president. Mr. Lai’s victory gave the DPP a third consecutive four-year term in power.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) dislikes the DPP and has called Mr. Lai a “separatist,” a label the communist regime gives to individuals who favor an independent Taiwan and reject CCP rule.

Foreign leaders of several nations, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have congratulated Mr. Lai on his election victory. In an interview with CNBC on Jan. 16, Mr. Blinken said China’s Taiwan approach “has actually been totally counterproductive to their interests.”

“By trying to exert pressure on Taiwan–economic pressure, military pressure, diplomatic pressure, isolation–it’s only reinforced many of the very people that they don’t want to reinforce,” he said.

China a ‘Major Threat’

The majority of people in Taiwan also perceive the Chinese regime as a threat to Taiwan. According to the survey, 66 percent of respondents said China is a “major threat,” 19 percent said a “minor threat,” and 10 percent said “not a threat.”

Younger adults are more likely to see China as a significant threat. According to the survey, 72 percent of respondents aged 18 to 34 said China is a major threat, compared to 65 percent of those aged 35 and older who shared the same level of concern.

“DPP and KMT supporters alike consider China’s power and influence a major threat to Taiwan. But DPP supporters are more likely than KMT supporters to say this (78% vs. 59%),” the survey reads.

The survey conducted phone interviews with 2,277 adults in Taiwan from June 2, 2023, to Sept. 17, 2023.

In Taiwan, a poll published by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in September 2023 showed similar results after surveying 1,077 adults aged 20 or older.

The survey found that 76.7 percent of respondents saw themselves as Taiwanese, 8.1 percent said they were both Chinese and Taiwanese, and 9.2 percent said they were Chinese. The remaining 5.9 percent didn’t share an opinion.

On Jan. 15, Nauru announced that it was severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China, a decision that has prompted several U.S. officials to criticize the Chinese regime.

Nauru’s announcement “is the latest example of Beijing’s escalating coercion to pursue its goal of undermining Taiwan’s democracy,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), ranking Democratic member of the House Select Committee on the CCP, wrote in a Jan. 16 post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The US must continue to deepen our partnership with Taiwan in response.”