Universities in Taiwan could soon begin recruiting graduate students from China for next year’s spring semester if the legislature approves next month two bills proposed by the Ministry of Education, a ministry official said yesterday.
“If the legislature passes the two proposed amendments [to the Act Governing the Relations between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例) and the University Act (大學法)], universities could begin their recruiting,” said Chu Chun-chang (朱俊彰), section chief of the ministry’s Department of Higher Education. “We will respect the legislature’s review of the bills.”
The remarks came in the wake of comments by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) during a video conference with experts on China in Washington on the role of the Taiwan Relations Act in Taipei-Beijing-Washington relations 30 years after its enactment.
Ma said the government intended to allow Chinese graduate students to study in Taiwan in spring next year and allow undergraduate students from China to enroll in local universities in fall next year.
Chu told reporters that the ministry had been working on supplementary measures for the policy allowing Chinese students to attend universities in Taiwan.
Chu guaranteed that the measures would follow the restrictions promised by Minister of Education Cheng Jei-cheng (鄭瑞城).
During a briefing to the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee on Nov. 10, Cheng promised to cap the number of Chinese students allowed to enroll in local schools at under 1 percent of university vacancies and not to offer scholarships.
Chinese students would not be allowed to study national security-related subjects, he said.
They would also be barred from working part-time outside of school and would be required to return to China immediately after completing their studies, Cheng said.
The ministry intends to recognize diplomas only from Chinese schools with a “distinguished academic reputation,” Cheng said, while not recognizing Chinese medical credentials.
Holders of Chinese credentials would not be allowed to take part in national certificate examinations or become government employees unless they hold Republic of China citizenship, he said.
Chu said that Chinese graduate students enrolling in local schools for the spring semester should not encounter difficulties, even if Taiwanese students usually begin their school year in the fall.
The Democratic Progressive Party said in a press statement it was opposed to allowing Chinese students to enroll at local schools.
The measure would crowd out domestic students from top universities, it said, adding that since Chinese students would not have to take admission exams, it would be easier for them to enter top schools than Taiwanese.
The party is against Chinese students who do not pay taxes in the country enjoying educational resources in Taiwan.
It said it also doubted whether the best Chinese students would come to Taiwan and feared that Taiwan would be stuck with sub-standard Chinese students, which would have a negative impact on the education system.
Some Chinese could arrive in Taiwan under the pretext of study, only to work illegally, the party said.
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