In a speech on Wednesday to the nation’s civil servants, Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said that maintaining sovereignty and ensuring the interests of Taiwanese remained the guiding principles of the government’s cross-strait policy.
“We should not do things that are not beneficial to the public. Those who execute cross-strait policies should act as gatekeepers when necessary and step on the brakes where necessary to maintain these principles,” the premier said.
Wu did not provide examples in the government’s current China policy that could be considered “putting the brakes on.” He would do well to look into a set of regulations recently promulgated by the Ministry of Education and — in his own words — “step on the brakes” to make sure Taiwanese interests are upheld.
A notice on Oct. 2 that the ministry issued to all local government education bureaus demanded they provide schooling assistance to Chinese spouses’ adopted children or children from previous marriages, as outlined in the Guidelines Governing the Education of the Children of Outstanding Overseas Science and Technology Talents (境外優秀科學技術人才子女來台就學辦法).
The notice immediately led to mixed interpretations. While Tainan City councilors across party lines interpreted the notice as an instruction to local education bureaus to give these children preferential treatment — such as enrolling them in public schools and giving them bonus points on college entrance exams — the ministry said the articles would not apply to this group, and that children from China would not be granted preferential benefits.
It is understandable that the ministry wishes to address the rights of China-born children and provide them with an amicable educational environment. However, a fair set of rules must be mapped out to ensure Taiwan-born children’s rights are not harmed as a result.
Details are yet to be clarified, but the fact that the notice was issued specifically in regard to Chinese spouses’ children from previous marriages is intriguing enough.
Why must the government single out children of Chinese spouses and allow them to use such guidelines? Such a decision could spur cases of forgery and fake adoption.
Local media recently reported that more than one in three Taiwanese colleges are likely to close in the next 12 years because of a shortage of students as the nation’s birth rate falls.
These regulations from the ministry will hardly encourage families to have more children if they believe that one day their children’s rights will be undermined.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is a master of making up rules to benefit strategic groups of people, as preferential treatment for military personnel and teachers attests to. The government under President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) leadership now appears to be planning to create yet another group of privileged people.
The cancelation this week of President William Lai’s (賴清德) state visit to Eswatini, after the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius revoked overflight permits under Chinese pressure, is one more measure of Taiwan’s shrinking executive diplomatic space. Another channel that deserves attention keeps growing while the first contracts. For several years now, Taipei has been one of Europe’s busiest legislative destinations. Where presidents and foreign ministers cannot land, parliamentarians do — and they do it in rising numbers. The Italian parliament opened the year with its largest bipartisan delegation to Taiwan to date: six Italian deputies and one senator, drawn from six
Recently, Taipei’s streets have been plagued by the bizarre sight of rats running rampant and the city government’s countermeasures have devolved into an anti-intellectual farce. The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office has attempted to eradicate rats by filling their burrows with polyurethane foam, seeming to believe that rats could not simply dig another path out. Meanwhile, as the nation’s capital slowly deteriorates into a rat hive, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection has proudly pointed to the increase in the number of poisoned rats reported in February and March as a sign of success. When confronted with public concerns over young
Taiwan and India are important partners, yet this reality is increasingly being overshadowed in current debates. At a time when Taiwan-India relations are at a crossroads, with clear potential for deeper engagement and cooperation, the labor agreement signed in February 2024 has become a source of friction. The proposal to bring in 1,000 migrant workers from India is already facing significant resistance, with a petition calling for its “indefinite suspension” garnering more than 40,000 signatures. What should have been a straightforward and practical step forward has instead become controversial. The agreement had the potential to serve as a milestone in
China has long given assurances that it would not interfere in free access to the global commons. As one Ministry of Defense spokesperson put it in 2024, “the Chinese side always respects the freedom of navigation and overflight entitled to countries under international law.” Although these reassurances have always been disingenuous, China’s recent actions display a blatant disregard for these principles. Countries that care about civilian air safety should take note. In April, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) canceled a planned trip to Eswatini for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s coronation and the 58th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic
RSS