Editing Politics of Taiwan (section)

=== National identity ===
{{Main|Taiwanese identity|Chinese nationalism}}

Roughly 84% of Taiwan's population descends from Han Chinese who migrated from mainland China between 1661 and 1895. Another significant fraction descends from Han Chinese who immigrated from mainland China in the 1940s and 1950s. But between 1895 and the present, Taiwan and mainland China have shared a common government for only 4 years. The shared cultural origin combined with several hundred years of geographical separation, some hundred years of political separation and foreign influences, as well as hostility between the rival Taiwan and China have resulted in national identity being a contentious issue with political overtones. Since democratization and the lifting of martial law, a distinct Taiwanese identity (as opposed to Taiwanese identity as a subset of a Chinese identity) is often at the heart of political debates. Its acceptance makes the island distinct from mainland China, and therefore may be seen as a step towards forming a consensus for ''de jure'' Taiwan independence.<ref name="power-shift">{{Cite book|last=Shambaugh|first=David L.|title=Power shift|publisher=University of California Press|year=2006|pages=179–183|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rMicZHVR_y4C&pg=PA179|isbn=0-520-24570-9|access-date=19 December 2020|archive-date=12 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412120532/https://books.google.com/books?id=rMicZHVR_y4C&pg=PA179|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[pan-green]] camp supports a distinct Taiwanese identity, while the [[pan-blue]] camp supports a Chinese identity only.<ref name="panblue-reunif-chineseid">{{Cite book|last=Pares|first=Susan |title=A political and economic dictionary of East Asia|publisher=Routledge|date=2005-02-24|page=267|isbn=978-1-85743-258-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xJKePP5ATKUC|quote=The Pan-Blue coalition on the whole favours a Chinese nationalist identity and policies supporting reunification and increased economic links with the People's Republic of China.}}</ref> The KMT has downplayed this stance in the recent years and now supports a Taiwanese identity as part of a Chinese identity.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20081230ho.html|title=No sign of a 'peace agreement'|last=Okazaki|first=Hisahiko|date=30 December 2008|newspaper=The Japan Times Online|access-date=2009-07-15|quote=For one thing, I believe there is recognition that the awareness of Taiwanese identity is now irreversible. The KMT government did things like rename the "Taiwan Post" to "Chunghwa Post" as soon as it came in. But it did not take much time to perceive that it would cause a backlash among the Taiwan populace. The cross-strait exchanges have also brought about opposition demonstrations from time to time. This appears to be one of the reasons for the abrupt decline in the approval rating of the Ma administration.|archive-date=14 July 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714162422/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/eo20081230ho.html%23.UAGdJqgo9Rw|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1211639,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024135148/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1211639,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 October 2007|title=10 Questions: Ma Ying-jeou|date=10 July 2006|magazine=TIME|access-date=2009-07-15|quote=I am Taiwanese as well as Chinese.}}</ref>

According to a survey conducted in March 2009, 49% of the respondents consider themselves as Taiwanese only, and 44% of the respondents consider themselves as Taiwanese and Chinese. 3% consider themselves as only Chinese.<ref name="tid-tvbs-survey">{{cite web |url = http://www.tvbs.com.tw/FILE_DB/DL_DB/yijung/200905/yijung-20090508145032.pdf |publisher = TVBS |title = ECFA issues and the nationality identification |access-date = 28 December 2011 |archive-date = 21 May 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090521022821/http://www.tvbs.com.tw/FILE_DB/DL_DB/yijung/200905/yijung-20090508145032.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref> Another survey, conducted in Taiwan in July 2009, showed that 82.8% of respondents consider that Taiwan and China are two separate countries developing each on its own.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.gvm.com.tw/gvsrc/200907_GVSRC_others_E.pdf |title = Survey on President Ma's Approval Rating and Cross-Strait Relations After First Year of Direct Flights |date=24 July 2009 |publisher=Global Views Survey Research Center |access-date=23 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110429190528/http://www.gvm.com.tw/gvsrc/200907_GVSRC_others_E.pdf |archive-date=29 April 2011 }}</ref> A recent survey conducted in December 2009 showed that 62% of the respondents consider themselves as Taiwanese only, and 22% of the respondents consider themselves as both Taiwanese and Chinese. 8% consider themselves as only Chinese. The survey also shows that among 18- to 29-year-old respondents, 75% consider themselves as Taiwanese only.<ref name="commonwealthsurvey1">{{cite web |url=http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2009/new/dec/16/today-t1.htm |script-title=zh:天下雜誌民調顯示：6成1民眾擔心經濟傾中 7成5年輕人自認台灣人 |language=zh-TW |access-date=2010-01-10 |archive-date=23 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323105730/http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2009/new/dec/16/today-t1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" center;"
|+ Percentage of Taiwanese residents who consider themselves Taiwanese, Chinese or Taiwanese and Chinese according to various surveys.
|-
! Survey
! Taiwanese
! Chinese
! Taiwanese and Chinese
|-
|[[Research, Development, and Evaluation Commission]], Executive Yuan (April 2008)<ref name="REDC Survey">{{cite web|url=http://www.mac.gov.tw/public/Attachment/973944270.pdf|script-title=zh:附表十二:民眾對自我認同的看法|language=zh|access-date=2010-04-27|archive-date=29 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429092852/http://www.mac.gov.tw/public/Attachment/973944270.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|67.1%
|13.6%
|15.2%
|-
|TVBS Poll Center (June 2008)<ref name="REDC Survey"/>
|45%
|4%
|45%
|-
|Common Wealth Magazine (December 2009)<ref name="commonwealthsurvey1"/>
|62%
|8%
|22%
|-
|National Chengchi University (June 2010)<ref name="taiwanchineseid1">{{cite web |url=http://esc.nccu.edu.tw/modules/tinyd2/content/TaiwanChineseID.htm |script-title=zh:資料庫─台灣民眾 台灣人/中國人認同趨勢分布 |publisher=National Chengchi University |language=zh |access-date=2009-05-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514110950/http://esc.nccu.edu.tw/modules/tinyd2/content/TaiwanChineseID.htm |archive-date=2011-05-14 }}</ref>
|51.6%
|3.8%
|40.4%
|-
|TVBS Poll Center (March 2009)<ref name="tid-tvbs-survey"/><ref>Quote: "Table 12: In Taiwan, some people identify themselves as Chinese, some identify themselves as Taiwan (sic). Do you identify yourself as Taiwanese or Chinese? (Do not prompt both Taiwanese and Chinese)"</ref>
|72%
|16%
|(not an option for this question)
|-
|TVBS Poll Center (March 2009)<ref name="tid-tvbs-survey"/><ref>Quote: "Table 13: In Taiwan, some people identify themselves as Chinese, some identify themselves as Taiwan (sic). Do you identify yourself as Taiwanese, Chinese or both Taiwanese and Chinese?"</ref>
|49%
|3%
|44%
|}