Former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) foundation has invited 40 Chinese students to meet with their counterparts from Taiwanese universities during a nine-day visit to Taiwan.
At a news conference in Taipei yesterday, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation CEO Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said the visiting students from China’s Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhejiang University, Fujian Normal University and Beijing Sport University would arrive in Taiwan on Nov. 27.
The 40 Chinese students on the invitation list include double Olympic table tennis champion Ma Long (馬龍) of Beijing Sport University, and 2020 Tokyo Olympic shooting gold medalist Yang Qian (楊倩) of Tsinghua University, Hsiao said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The Chinese students would meet with their counterparts from National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Chengchi University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Chinese Culture University and Chang Gung University in Taiwan, he said, adding that for the first time ever, the Chinese group would visit Taipei Municipal Zhong Shan Girls’ High School.
At a time when tensions across the Taiwan Strait are escalating, more exchanges and interactions between young people from Taiwan and China are needed to help build a better understanding of each other and deliver peace messages across the Strait, he said.
The visit is in line with President William Lai’s (賴清德) hopes for healthy and orderly exchanges between Taiwan and China, he said
Citing a visit last year by Chinese students, who were also invited by the foundation, Hsiao said the visit gained high recognition from ranking officials from former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration.
The foundation will file an application with the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Ministry of Education for the visit, urging the authorities to approve the visit as soon as possible.
Hsiao added that when he met with MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) and Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) in July and mentioned the foundation’s plan to invite Chinese students to visit the nation this year, the two officials acknowledged the need for such an exchange.
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