TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) on Friday (Feb. 21) revealed that the Ministry of Education (MOE, 教育部) has sought discussions with China regarding the enrollment of Chinese students in Taiwan, but has received no response. According to the council, this lack of communication suggests a lack of goodwill from the Chinese government.
MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) noted that since 2004, schools across the Taiwan Strait have signed approximately 20,000 written agreements. Academic exchanges have gradually stabilized post-pandemic, with over 2,000 Chinese students studying in Taiwan last year.
However, Minister Chiu acknowledged that China has restricted Chinese students from studying in Taiwan since 2020, citing the pandemic and political reasons. As a result, the number of Chinese students in Taiwan has dwindled to just over 1,500 for the 2024 academic year.
To counter these restrictions, the Taiwanese government has implemented several friendly measures. These include expanding the recognition of Chinese academic credentials, increasing the overall quota for Chinese student admissions, and including Chinese students in Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI, 全民健保).
In a related move on Thursday, MOE banned domestic universities from collaborating or exchanging with three Chinese institutions affiliated with the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee (中國政戰部): Jinan University (暨南大學) in Guangzhou (廣州), Huaqiao University (華僑大學), and Beijing Chinese Language and Culture College (北京華文學院).
