Students at a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) cram school in Taipei said they were upset when they earlier this month found that the US-based Educational Testing Service (ETS), widely known for examinations it develops for students planning to study in the US, including the Test of English for International Communication, Graduate Record Examinations and the TOEFL, has again changed the way it refers to Taiwan on its Web site to “Taiwan, China.”
The school’s owner, who asked to be identified by his English name, Austin Lin, said some of his students discovered the name change when registering this month for a TOEFL test on the ETS Web site.
Lin said the incident surprised him, because he had heard about Chinese students having their US visa applications rejected or their stays cut short after US President Donald Trump took office.
Photo: Screengrab by Sean Lin/Taipei Times
Such incidents were unheard of during former US president Barack Obama’s time in office, he said.
The Trump administration, which generally takes a more confrontational attitude toward China, has reportedly imposed a stricter policy on Chinese students, due in part to Washington’s concern about Chinese students taking technological know-how they learn in the US back to China, which would intensify the US-China rivalry, Lin said.
It is “disappointing” that ETS, as a non-profit organization with an influential role in education, should get involved, he added.
ETS adhering to Beijing’s “one China” principle was likely motivated by the large number of Chinese students studying in the US, Lin said.
According to the Open Doors 2017 Executive Summary published by the Institute of International Education, Chinese students account for more than 30 percent of international students studying in the US.
“China has continually used its economic power to restrict Taiwan’s international space. It is frightening that such efforts have even penetrated higher education,” Lin added.
He said that the government should step up its efforts to retain local talent, saying that China has wooed away some Taiwanese overseas students by offering them high-paying teaching posts after graduation.
Some students at the school said they had filed protests with ETS.
One student, Chen Kuan-hsien (陳冠憲), said he wrote a letter to ETS to protest the name change.
“I protested that I could not find my country on the registration page, and did not know what to select,” Chen said. “Then I saw ‘Taiwan, China’ — that is not my country.”
Another student, Liu Chiang-yi (劉昌邑), said ETS still referred to Taiwan as “Taiwan” on its Web site when he registered last month for the TOEFL.
In 2006, when ETS introduced the Internet-based TOEFL, it also changed the way in which it referred to Taiwan, changing from “Taiwan” to “Taiwan, Province of China,” which triggered widespread protest among test-takers over how the institute ignored Taiwanese sovereignty.
ETS, saying that the first name change was due to “negligence,” eventually changed the designation back to “Taiwan” after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervened and asked it to make the correction.
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
RSS