DPP lawmaker Chang Ching-fang (張清芳) alleged yesterday that at least 10 brokerage agencies are illegally recruiting Taiwanese students on behalf of Chinese universities.
Chang held a press conference yesterday to make the allegations.
The lawmaker said the brokerage agencies were violating Article 23 of the Statute Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (
The article says that Taiwanese nationals and brokers are barred from recruiting students for any educational institution based in China. Violators can face a fine of up to NT$1 million or a sentence of up to three years in prison.
Flouting the law, several agencies have been recruiting students in public, promising to help Taiwanese students enroll in prestigious universities in China such as Beijing University, in addition to helping male students get out of compulsory military service, Chang alleged.
An agency located in northern Taiwan also boasted of its cross-strait study programs, he said. According to Chang, the agency told students they don't need to go to schools in China to study, but instead the agency will bring in professors from China to meet with students on a regular basis.
In this way, students can continue their work in Taiwan and obtain their degree after a certain period of time.
Another agency in southern Taiwan promises to help students enroll in prestigious schools in exchange for NT$600,000 to NT$1 million in fees.
"The practice not only violates the law, but also may involve in deception and inappropriate solicitation," Chang said.
Chang called for the government to crack down on these agencies.
"So far, not a single government agency has taken notice of the situation, nor has the law been thoroughly implemented," he said.
To solve the problem once and for all, Chang said the government should recognize Chinese diplomas and academic degrees as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Education has not yet recognized credentials issued by Chinese universities.
"Since President Chen Shui-bian's (
Chang said Taiwan should recognize degrees issued by universities in China for two reasons. First, more and more Taiwanese students have been pursuing their degrees across the Taiwan Strait. Second, mutual recognition of diplomas and degrees is inevitable in the wake of Taiwan's and China's accession to the WTO.
What's more, Chang said, recognizing Chinese diplomas is a way of expressing goodwill to its Chinese counterpart.
"However, the relaxation of the ban should not be unilateral. We also welcome Chinese students to study in Taiwan," he said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS