The Hong Kong Government might order Hong Kong universities to cease exchanges with Taiwanese universities to prevent students’ involvement in political activities, a source said yesterday.
National security legislation imposed on the territory by Beijing in June empowers the Hong Kong government to interfere in educational exchanges.
Article 9 of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region stipulates that the Hong Kong government “shall take necessary measures to strengthen ... supervision and regulation over matters concerning national security, including those relating to schools.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
Hong Kong government officials believe that the Democratic Progressive Party is influencing Hong Kong students in Taiwan and encouraging them to take part in “subversive activities” when they return home, the source said.
Beijing has asked the Hong Kong government to revise curricula in the territory and plans to require Hong Kong students to visit China at some time during their studies to attend lectures and write reports, the source said, adding that the changes aim to instill patriotism.
Hong Kong Outlanders spokeswoman Justine said that Hong Kong students are already self-censoring out of fear.
Hopefully, Hong Kongers would still be able to study in Taiwan, where they are free to express themselves, and the government offers them scholarships and other assistance, she said.
The Mainland Affairs Council on Saturday said the number of Hong Kong students applying for post-graduate studies this year more than doubled from last year.
This year, 648 Hong Kongers applied for master’s and doctoral degree programs in Taiwan, up from 260 last year, the council said, adding that the increase was likely due to deteriorating human rights conditions in the territory.
The number of Hong Kongers applying for undergraduate programs increased by 26 percent this year to 3,093 applicants, up from 2,463 last year, it said.
The council denied a local media report that applications by Hong Kong students had been delayed due to a high number of applicants.
Applications from overseas students were accepted online from Nov. 1 to Friday, it said, adding that they are being processed.
Due to restrictions on gatherings and movement to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic, some applicants in Hong Kong had to wait until the deadline to submit their documents to Taiwan’s representative office in the territory, it said, adding that the office stayed open late to collect applications.
The Ministry of Education has allowed universities to admit 10 percent more students for the coming academic year, it said.
As schools this year only filled 30 percent of their quotas for students from Macau and Hong Kong, there would be no problem with accepting more students from the territories, the council said.
The ministry has also implemented a new recruitment program for students from Macau and Hong Kong, and commissioned National Taiwan Normal University to open more classes in spring to accommodate them, it said.
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