The Ministry of Education (MOE) released more details yesterday on its plan to allow Chinese students to study at the nation’s higher education establishments, saying it would impose a series of restrictions and conditions on Chinese students to avoid jeopardizing the education and employment opportunities of Taiwanese students.
Under the plan, Chinese students from universities and colleges with “distinguished academic reputations” would be allowed to study in the country, with numbers limited to between 0.5 percent and 1 percent of total nationwide enrollment at colleges, four-year technology institutions and two-year junior technological and vocational education colleges.
The estimated number of Chinese students coming to Taiwan to study each year would be between 1,000 and 2,000, based on the 200,000 vacancies at 170 institutions nationwide, Vice Minister of Education Lu Mu-lin (呂木琳) told the press conference.
Lu said the policy would require amendments to the University Law (大學法), College School Law (專科學校法) and the Statute Governing the Relations Between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例).
If the amendments pass the legislature, the first group of Chinese students could be expected in September at the earliest, Lu said.
Lu said that nine measures to be enacted upon the arrival of the first Chinese students would ensure that the education system, job sector and national security would not be threatened.
The government would not grant Chinese students the “special status” that helps students receive extra credits on their application, as it does with nationals living overseas, Aboriginal students, veterans and others. In addition, the government would not provide scholarships, Lu said.
Lu said, however, that the government would not bar schools from attracting Chinese students with scholarships financed by themselves or other sources.
Chinese students would not take up vacancies for local students, as Chinese students allowed to study in Taiwan would be outside each school’s enrollment quota, he said.
The students would not be allowed to work part-time during their studies, nor would they be allowed to work in the country after graduation. They would also be barred from taking national certificate examinations or public service examinations unless they hold Taiwanese citizenship, Lu said.
Lu said the government would not recognize Chinese medical credentials for the time being as hospital resources for medical students are limited, Lu said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
RSS