Japan is Taiwan's favorite nation Options

[Red Fox Ace]

Japan Taiwan’s favorite country, survey reveals


http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/arc...3/24/2003468824




STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010, Page 3

More than half the population [of Taiwan] listed Japan as their favorite country, a survey conducted by Japan’s representative office in Taiwan has found.

Japan ranked far ahead of the US and China as the favorite foreign country of Taiwanese, being chosen by 52 percent of respondents to a survey conducted by the Japan Interchange Association’s Taipei office, the country’s de facto embassy in Taiwan.

Only 8 percent of respondents said the US was their favorite country, while 5 percent said China.

“The results show that people in Taiwan and Japan have good feelings about each other in general,” said Chen Tyau-her (陳調和), secretary-general of the East Asian Relations Commission under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In terms of Taiwan-Japan relations, 28 percent described them as “good or very good,” and 63 percent said relations are “neither good nor bad.”

Around 62 percent of respondents described Japan as a “closely-related” country, with 13 percent among them saying that relations between Taiwan and Japan are “very close.” The number was down from last year’s 69 percent.

Japan is still highly popular among Taiwanese tourists, as 90 percent of respondents said it was a charismatic country and 44 percent said Japan was their preferred destination for an overseas trip.

Europe was the second favorite destination at 29 percent.

Economic, trade and industrial exchanges were listed by 20 percent of respondents as the area of greatest expectations for bilateral exchanges in the future.

However, Japan lagged behind China — 31 percent to 33 percent — as the most important country with which Taiwan should try to seek closer relations, the survey found. The US was third.

Among areas of concern in the bilateral relationship, 36 percent of respondents said they were most worried about fishing issues while 30 percent cited anxiety over the impact of the Japan-China relationship on Japan’s ties with Taiwan.

The Interchange Association concluded that while most Taiwanese still view the relationship with Japan as close, the percentage of those listing Japan as their favorite country has dropped from last year, and the appeal of Japanese food was also slightly down.





This post has been edited by Red Fox Ace: Mar 23 2010, 05:37 PM

[Hugham]

Sometimes I have a feeling that Chinese in Taiwan lack of self-confidence. Because of low GDP per capita, they feel inferior toward Japanese, especially those in Tokyo.

They saw themself as backward people, while Japanese is modern and advanced. Chinese in Taiwan want to look modern too, that is why they are copying Japanese. Even they look Japanese ancient culture as modern, stylist and trendy too. Far superior than Chinese ancient culture.

Most of outsider saw Taiwan as IT country. But the true face of Taiwan is a rural country, since most of their people living in the urban village. Don't be fooled by people claim Taiwan has high urbanization, because many rural areas are developed well almost like small city. They may wear modern cloth and living in modern house, but in mentality, a rural people still a rural people.

Taiwan has 20 million population, but most of them are living in rural area. Unlike Shanghai with 20 million true urban people and Tokyo with 30 million.

As you can see in TV, many Taiwan politicians dressed and acting like rural people to gain people popularity. This reflecting true Taiwan society. May be this is the reason why Taiwan GDP per capita didn't expand in the last 20 years. While in Korea, most of politicians look very modern and so urban.



Taiwan need to reallocation their people to be concentrated in the big city. At least Taipei and Kaoshiung should have 8 million people each. This will develop people mind to be more modern and advanced. Taiwan GDP per capita will rise too.

With the current Taiwan situation, don't expecting something big from Taiwan in the near future, unless there's a big change, especially in the urbanization.

[ktoast]

Most of outsider saw Taiwan as IT country. But the true face of Taiwan is a rural country, since most of their people living in the urban village. Don't be fooled by people claim Taiwan has high urbanization, because many rural areas are developed well almost like small city. They may wear modern cloth and living in modern house, but in mentality, a rural people still a rural people.

I completely agree. I went to Taiwan in Summer 2009, and I noticed that all the investment went to Taipei. Anywhere out of Taipei had shoddy buildings and there were many rotting, derelict office buildings around the 'National Highway No. 1'. The Taiwan villages look like typical villages found in China....
Also I saw many 'gyaru' and 'harajuku' wananbes/try hards in Xinmending. What annoyed me the most was the amount of drivers (especially those driving mopeds) who disobey the traffic laws!

Taiwan is a Japanophillic society.

This post has been edited by ktoast: Apr 11 2010, 10:41 AM

[denghuilee]

I completely agree. I went to Taiwan in Summer 2009, and I noticed that all the investment went to Taipei. Anywhere out of Taipei had shoddy buildings and there were many rotting, derelict office buildings around the 'National Highway No. 1'. The Taiwan villages look like typical villages found in China....
Also I saw many 'gyaru' and 'harajuku' wananbes/try hards in Xinmending. What annoyed me the most was the amount of drivers (especially those driving mopeds) who disobey the traffic laws!

Taiwan is a Japanophillic society.

You are just jealous because Japan is more friendlier towards Taiwan while most of Japanese is hostile to mainlanders.