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), a government official said on Monday.
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).
The group is to arrive in Taiwan today 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, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Museum of Innovation and other institutions.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
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 director 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$153,799) to invite the group and all participating students are members of China’s Communist Youth League or affiliated with the CCP, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Ma Long and Yang are both CCP members, and their inclusion was a deliberate move to facilitate propaganda efforts, the official said.
The tour group is led by China’s Tsinghua University CCP committee secretary Qiu Yong (邱勇), while a CCP organizer has been assigned to each university’s group of students, they said.
All members of the group were specifically chosen by the CCP, they added.
That all members are affiliated with the CCP shows that this is not a normal exchange, but part of Beijing’s “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 chosen by the CCP and a predeparture meeting would be held to instruct them on what to say in Taiwan, Chen said.
The inclusion of Olympic athletes is a deliberate effort by Beijing to showcase China’s prowess as a part of its “united front” efforts, 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 issued yesterday.
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, he said.
The two Olympians would experience baseball in Taiwan, representing an exchange between champions, as Taiwan’s national team on Sunday won the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Premier12 championship, he added.
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