EDUCATION
Malaysian students increasing
With 10,374 of its nationals studying in Taiwan last year, Malaysia is the largest source of overseas students in the nation, the latest Ministry of Education statistics show. The number is nearly double the 5,248 figure recorded in 2010, according to the data, a surge the ministry attributed to Kuala Lumpur’s 2012 relaxation of restrictions on the recognition of certificates and diplomas issued by Taiwanese schools. That year, Taiwan also eased restrictions on foreign students working after graduating, including removing the requirement of work experience and lowering the minimum amount they must earn, the ministry said. The nation had a total of 78,261 foreign students last year, up 18.53 percent from 66,026 the previous year, according to ministry statistics. If the growth continues, the number of foreign students could reach the government’s goal of 100,000 in 2016, the ministry said.
CRIME
US school director jailed
The director of an English-language cram school has been sentenced to seven months in prison for an obscene act against an employee last year, the Supreme Court said yesterday, upholding the Taiwan High Court’s previous verdict. The Supreme Court ruled that US national Mark Hinnawi committed an act of forced obscenity against a female teacher in April last year at the buxiban he founded in New Taipei City. The verdict said he tried to hug the teacher, but was rejected, after which he forcibly thrust his lower body against hers until interrupted by the approach of students. The teacher told Hinnawi she wanted to quit, at which point he apologized, the verdict said. She recorded the apology as evidence and went to the police. At his trial, Hinnawi denied the accusations, the verdict said.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Friday condemned Chinese and Russian authorities for escalating regional tensions, citing Chinese warplanes crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line and joint China-Russia military activities breaching South Korea’s air defense identification zone (KADIZ) over the past two days. A total of 30 Chinese warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and Friday, entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern airspace in coordination with 15 naval vessels and three high-altitude balloons, the MAC said in a statement. The Chinese military also carried out another “joint combat readiness patrol” targeting Taiwan on Thursday evening, the MAC said. On
INTIMIDATION: In addition to the likely military drills near Taiwan, China has also been waging a disinformation campaign to sow division between Taiwan and the US Beijing is poised to encircle Taiwan proper in military exercise “Joint Sword-2024C,” starting today or tomorrow, as President William Lai (賴清德) returns from his visit to diplomatic allies in the Pacific, a national security official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said that multiple intelligence sources showed that China is “highly likely” to launch new drills around Taiwan. Although the drills’ scale is unknown, there is little doubt that they are part of the military activities China initiated before Lai’s departure, they said. Beijing at the same time is conducting information warfare by fanning skepticism of the US and
NO RIGHT: After 38 years of martial law under the former KMT government, the KMT is the least qualified to accuse others of harboring such intentions, DPP officials said The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) of creating a stir on social media by implying that the government supports martial law, adding that the KMT is the least qualified to criticize others after decades of martial law in Taiwan under the former KMT regime. After South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol late on Tuesday night declared martial law (which was rescinded six hours later), the DPP caucus issued a statement on Thread saying that Taiwan’s legislature was facing a situation similar to that in South Korea, which had prompted Yoon to declare martial law. “The South
‘FACT-BASED’: There is no ban, and 2 million Taiwanese have traveled to China this year, which is more than the 285,000 Chinese who visited Taiwan, the council said The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday accused China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) of shifting the blame for Beijing’s tourism ban on Taiwan, continuing a war of words that started in the past week. The council’s remark came hours after its Chinese counterpart on Friday accused the government of creating barriers to the resumption of reciprocal group tours across the Taiwan Strait. The TAO accused the MAC of releasing untruthful information and dragging its feet on the tourism sector’s call to establishing ferries linking Pingtung County to China’s Pingtan Island. The MAC failed to respond to overtures to restore direct flights and raised the
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