A legislator yesterday urged China to postpone its annual graduate school entry exams in Hong Kong because of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) there.
The two-day exam, held annually in Hong Kong, is specifically for people from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau who wish to pursue post-graduate degrees in schools in China.
"In light of the spread of SARS cases in Hong Kong, I hope the Chinese authorities will postpone the exam till sometime later when the epidemic is under control," KMT Legislator Cho Po-yuan (
Hong Kong has been listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a SARS-affected area. Hong Kong has recorded 610 cases of SARS and 15 deaths.
"It is worrisome that, in order to take part in the exam, test takers will have to expose themselves to the danger of this deadly respiratory disease while in Hong Kong," he said.
According to Cho, 739 Taiwanese have registered to take part in the entry exam, which will be held at Hong Kong Polytechnic University on April 26 and April 27.
"If these students are to give up taking the entry tests [this month], they then will have to wait till next year to pursue the degree they desire," Cho said. "Yet if they go ahead and take the exam in Hong Kong now, they will face the threat of being infected with SARS.
"For the sake of humanity and the growing trend of people pursuing degrees in China, the Mainland Affairs Council and the Straits Exchange Foundation should take the initiative to get in touch with the Chinese authorities on this issue and ask it to postpone the exams," he said.
But the government's attitude to Taiwanese studying in China means that the it may ignore the call.
In response to Cho's call, a Mainland Affairs Council official, who did not want to be identified, said that since the government did not recognize degrees obtained in China and did not encourage Taiwanese to study there, the council could not act as Cho had suggested.
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