The government yesterday put forward a proposal to recognize Chinese diplomas and allow Chinese students to study in Taiwan.
Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) said in a statement that the approval of proposed amendments to the Statute Governing the Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例), the University Act (大學法) and the Junior College Law (專科學校法) during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting signaled “the opening up of a substantial and constructive interaction in cross-trait cultural and education exchanges.”
The proposal, however, marked a departure from one of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) campaign pledges. He had said that he would not recognize Chinese diplomas.
Director of the Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education Ho Chuo-fei (何卓飛) told a press conference that the government would impose a series of restrictions and conditions on Chinese students to ensure that Taiwanese students’ right to an education would not be threatened.
Under the amended laws, Taiwan will recognize diplomas issued by reputable Chinese universities and set a quota for the number of Chinese studying in Taiwan. Chinese students will not be awarded scholarships by Taiwanese universities, will not be allowed to work in Taiwan, must leave after the completion of their studies and will not be allowed to take civil service exams.
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