Two DPP lawmakers protested yesterday about an apparent blunder in which German universities asked a Taiwanese student to have his diploma verified at the German Embassy in Beijing.
Chiu Yeong-jen (
Of the seven German universities to which Ko had applied for admission to graduate school of law, four asked him to send his diplomas to the German Embassy in Beijing for verification, in the same way that Chinese students have had to do since the summer of 2002.
The universities had insisted on the verification despite Ko's efforts to clarify that Taiwan was a separate political entity from China.
"By taking such measures, the German universities are taking Taiwan as a province of China, which is a serious humiliation to our country," Chiu said.
Chiu and Shieh pressed the government to lodge a protest with Germany and seek a solution immediately, or they would launch a drive to boycott German products.
Reacting to the complaint, an official from the German Institute in Taiwan -- Germany's de facto embassy -- clarified that the matter was a mistake.
"There are over 300 universities in Germany, and not all of them are aware of the differences between Taiwanese and Chinese students in terms of their admission requirements," said Sven Meier, director of cultural and public affairs at the institute.
Meier said the verification requirement for Chinese students does not apply to their Taiwanese peers.
"According to the rules of Germany, Taiwanese students can apply directly to German university for admission without having to go through any verification process in Beijing," Meier said.
Taiwanese have often been mistaken as Chinese when traveling overseas.
Pro-independence groups have urged the government to add the word "Taiwan" on passports to avoid confusion.
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