The government would investigate claims that no university has ever been punished for signing letters affirming Beijing’s “one China” principle, and handle infractions appropriately, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said yesterday.
“Academic exchanges should not come with political preconditions,” Su told reporters at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
In March 2017, Shih Hsin University was found to have signed an agreement with three Chinese universities to refrain from discussing any “sensitive political topics” in courses or activities attended by Chinese students.
Photo: CNA
The Ministry of Education said at the time that 72 of the nation’s 157 tertiary institutions had signed similar letters since 2005.
However, a recent investigation by the ministry found that no school has ever been penalized for signing such letters, since universities are self-administered.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) and Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) have proposed amending the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例) to tackle China’s “united front” tactics.
Photo: CNA
There is a loophole in the section that governs cross-strait educational exchanges, Wang said on Monday.
Article 33-3 states that schools must apply for permission before “forming any coalition or engaging in any other cooperative activity or any written agreement” with a Chinese institution, Wang said.
Under the proposed amendment, the article would be changed to clarify that restricted activities include “concluding a coalition, written agreement or cooperative activity, or a unilateral agreement or declaration,” he said.
The second paragraph would be changed to say that exchanges must not “involve any content of a political nature” to they must not “involve cooperation with united front political objectives of the Mainland area,” he said.
The proposal would also amend Article 90-2 to require authorities to cut off financial assistance or restrict enrollment for schools found guilty of contravening the provisions.
“China wants to eliminate our nation’s sovereignty,” he said. “How can Taiwanese schools allow other countries to use the ‘one China’ principle to limit academic exchange and education?”
Amending the law would protect teachers from Chinese coercion and ensure that schools report infractions to the ministry, Wang added.
“Taiwan already bans political and military entities from school campuses, how could it allow the Chinese Communist Party to sneak its way in?” he said.
Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) yesterday told reporters that he supports the proposals, because while China claims it is not creating conflict with other nations, it is accustomed to using “united front” tactics against Taiwan.
While Chinese missiles cannot annihilate, Beijing seeks to use psychological, cultural, educational and other tactics to “win over” Taiwan, Chen said.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
RSS