TAO Criticizes Obstruction of Educational Exchanges; MAC: Mutual Accusations Are Meaningless

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) recently called for the resumption of mainland Chinese degree students coming to study in Taiwan. Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian of the Taiwan Affairs Office of mainland China stated yesterday that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities prohibit Taiwan's universities and colleges from engaging in exchange and cooperation with 10 mainland universities, including Jinan University and Beihang University. They also use various pretexts to obstruct educational exchanges and cooperation at all school levels. "They set up multiple unreasonable restrictions for mainland students studying in Taiwan and adopt various unfair treatments." She claimed that the DPP authorities, regarding some university presidents, deans, and teachers who go to the mainland for exchanges, "frequently audit them, cut funding, or block projects. These political manipulations seriously damage the normal development of cross-strait educational exchanges." In response, MAC Vice Chairman Liang Wen-chieh stated at a regular press conference today that our side tries its best to provide better conditions for mainland students. For example, in the past, mainland students studying in Taiwan could not enjoy health insurance, but mainland student health insurance was opened two years ago. This process also went through a lot of persuasion work in the Legislative Yuan, but the other side has long failed to respond. Liang Wen-chieh said that mutual accusations are meaningless and hoped that the mainland side would not block the willingness of students who want to come to Taiwan to study. "As long as mainland students want to come to Taiwan to study, we will create good conditions for them." (Editor: Yang Sheng-ju) 1150409