Taiwan bans two Chinese universities from participating in academic exchange programs
Taipei: Citing their close links to Beijing’s United Front Work Department, Taiwan has prohibited two Chinese colleges from taking part in academic exchange programs. In an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times, the sister publication of the Taipei Times, Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao revealed the decision.
Together, the two universities—Jinan University in Guangzhou and Huaqiao University in Xiamen and Quanzhou—have almost 2,000 Taiwanese students enrolled. These colleges are part of China’s political warfare department, Cheng said, citing national security reports.
Concerns have been raised over their involvement in influencing Taiwanese students’ political opinions due to their affiliation with the United Front Work Department, which is well-known for its recruiting and influence activities.
Taiwanese institutions will not be allowed to work with or support projects involving these universities due to a statewide limitation.
“The policy will be formally announced at a future meeting with college and university deans,” Cheng said. As part of larger initiatives to oppose Beijing’s influence in Taiwan’s educational system, the restriction is applicable to all educational levels, including public and private high schools, colleges, universities, and vocational schools.
Cheng warned that government funding would be withheld from educational institutions that disobey the directive, specifically focusing on private schools that are not under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Education. According to the Taipei Times, he emphasized that it is the duty of all educational institutions to avoid outside political influence.
Cheng maintained that while Taiwanese residents are entitled by the constitution to an education, these colleges serve more as political instruments than as solely educational establishments. Working with Chinese colleges associated with the Chinese Ministry of National Defense is already forbidden for Taiwanese institutions.
Taiwanese students are still allowed to attend any university, including those in China, even though the Ministry of Education’s authority is restricted to institutional laws and does not apply to individuals. But according to a source, Huaqiao and Jinan institutions are still actively seeking Taiwanese high school graduates, particularly after the country’s national college admission examinations.
China’s intellectual influence has long been a source of concern. Last July, education authorities issued a warning against attending academic activities in China after the Mainland Affairs Council increased its travel advice to “orange.”
According to a source with knowledge of Huaqiao University, the university has “extremely low” admissions requirements for Taiwanese students and reserves spaces for them exclusively in its graduate programs.
According to the Taipei Times, Taiwanese musician Chen Po-yuan, a student at Huaqiao University, described his experience there, saying that instructors there taught “Xi Jinping Thought” and criticized the US.
Chen, whose stage name is Mannam PYC, said, “Hauqiao University would accept any Taiwanese applicant, even if they had not graduated from high school, when I applied through a special program [to enroll].”
