‘We’re Taiwanese, not Chinese’: Survey shows majority embrace distinct identity

Taiwanese teenager Chou Rei-chi cannot wait for the day when she can finally cast her vote in the local elections.

- Yip Wai Yee and Katherine Wei

The 17-year-old high school student is still three years shy of Taiwan’s legal voting age of 20, but she has been closely following the twists and turns of every election since learning about civil rights in school.

And herein lies what she believes to be a core difference between “being Taiwanese” and “being Chinese”: The ability to vote.

“That’s what sets us apart from China, right? The Taiwanese get to vote for candidates they support, even remove politicians they think are not doing well, because Taiwan is a democracy,” she told The Straits Times. “I’m proud of being Taiwanese because of that.”

Rei-chi is among more than 63 per cent of people in Taiwan who see themselves as Taiwanese rather than Chinese, according to a June survey by the National Chengchi University in Taipei. Around 30 per cent of the people identify with both Taiwanese and Chinese.

In contrast, only 2.4 per cent see themselves as Chinese, a record low number, down from more than 25 per cent three decades ago when the poll was first conducted.

This trend is certainly a concern for Beijing, which reaffirmed in its new White Paper on Taiwan last Wednesday that it would take the self-ruled island – which it regards as a renegade province – by force if necessary.