All members of an incoming Chinese university tour group invited by former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) are affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), an anonymous government official said.
The tour group consists of students and faculty from seven of China’s top universities, including Olympic gold medalists Ma Long (馬龍) and Yang Qian (楊倩).
Photo: CNA
The group arrives in Taiwan tomorrow and is to stay for nine days, visiting National Chengchi University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Chinese Culture University, National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, the Hsinchu Science Park Exploration Hall, TSMC Innovation Museum and other institutions.
Young people are the future of cross-strait relations and exchanges between young people across the Taiwan Strait would build a solid foundation for the next generation, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation CEO Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said in a recent interview with Chinese state media.
“The true voice of Taiwan is against war and for peace, against Taiwanese independence and for cross-strait exchanges,” Hsiao said.
The foundation spent NT$5 million (US$154,140) to invite this group and all participating students are members of China’s Communist Youth League or affiliated with the CCP, the anonymous government official said in a local news report.
Both Ma Long and Yang Qian are CCP members, and their inclusion was a deliberate move to facilitate propaganda efforts, the official said.
The tour group is led by Tsinghua University CCP committee secretary Qiu Yong (邱勇), and each university whose students are part of the group has assigned CCP organizers to join, he said, adding that all members were specifically designated by the CCP.
The fact that all members are affiliated with the CCP shows this is not a normal exchange, but part of "united front" tactics, National Taiwan University political science professor Chen Shih-min (陳世民) said.
The students were not selected through an application process, but designated by the CCP and a pre-departure meeting would be held to instruct them on what to say in Taiwan, Chen added.
The inclusion of Olympic athletes is a deliberate effort by Beijing to showcase China’s prowess as a part of its "united front" tactics, he said.
As the political system in China is different from Taiwan, it is not surprising that the students are affiliated with the CCP, Hsiao said in a news release today.
It is a disgrace to Taiwan that an official has leaked the personal information of tour group members, smearing the significance of this cross-strait exchange, Hsiao said.
The two Chinese Olympic athletes would experience baseball in Taiwan, representing an exchange between champions, as Taiwan's baseball team recently won the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Premier12 championship, he added.
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