A legislative committee meeting descended into a fight yesterday as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers clashed over two proposed bills that would recognize Chinese diplomas and allow Chinese students to study in Taiwan.
DPP legislators occupied the podium at around 7am — more than two hours before the meeting was scheduled to begin — and took control of the microphones in a bid to paralyze the meeting of the Education and Culture Committee.
When Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji (吳清基) arrived, the lawmakers surrounded him, accusing him of trying to sell out Taiwan by opening it to Chinese students.
PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES
Physical clashes erupted as DPP lawmakers tried to prevent committee head and KMT caucus member Chao Li-yun (趙麗雲) from getting to the convener's podium to announce the meeting's agenda.
DPP legislators Hsueh Ling (薛凌) and Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) tried to stop Chao by covering Chao's mouth, while some KMT legislators tried to shield Chao.
Wu gave the committee a short briefing on the two bills, while the conflict between the KMT and the DPP continued, with some legislators jumping onto the desks and shouting at each other.
Chao surprised many by fainting shortly after announcing that the two bills would be put to cross-party negotiations — a necessary procedure before a bill is put to a second reading.
She was rushed to National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH). DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) and Chen also took an ambulance to NTUH for medical checkups. The meeting was adjourned shortly afterwards.
Wu later said he regretted the incident and condemned the use of violence.
DPP Legislator Chen Ying (陳瑩) accused Chao of faking her collapse, saying: “I heard other KMT lawmakers telling her to faint.”
The KMT caucus, however, accused the DPP of resorting to violence.
KMT caucus whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) called the DPP “psycho” and told DPP lawmakers to go see a psychiatrist.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) visited Chao in hospital yesterday evening.
Taiwan currently does not recognize Chinese credentials or allow Chinese students to study in the country, but Chinese students can apply to come for short-term research purposes.
The KMT administration wants to start recruiting students from China in September, but the DPP has been boycotting the bills.
The two parties are also divided as to whether the committee completed the preliminary review of the two bills during yesterday's clashes.
Lin said the bills had passed the preliminary review because Chao had announced the referral of the bills to the plenary session. The DPP, however, questioned the legitimacy of yesterday's meeting, saying the committee failed to complete a preliminary review of the bills.
In response to the scuffles, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that the problem began because the KMT attempted to ram its bill through the legislature without a cross-party consensus.
“It's disappointing that the KMT blames the opposition for the scuffles, when it hasn't even tried to exchange opinions,” Tsai said.
The DPP said it opposes the bill on easing restrictions for Chinese students because it is closely tied to another proposed bill on recognizing Chinese educational credentials, which it said would hasten Taiwan's brain drain and see Taiwanese workers compete with their Chinese counterparts for jobs.
Lawmakers have yet to achieve a consensus on such a measure, the chairperson said.
“If you open our schools to Chinese students today, you will have to recognize their certifications or their degrees. After all, how will they apply to our universities or grad schools otherwise?” DPP Spokesperson Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said.
“We haven't seen the Ma administration make any studies or take measures to deal with the proposal's potential impact,” Tsai Chi-chang said.
Meanwhile, responding to the allegations that she supported a similar measure during her tenure as Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) chief from 2000 to 2004, Tsai Ing-wen said that the proposal she supported would only see Chinese students come to Taiwan for exchanges — not full-time study.
“I said that both Chinese and Taiwanese students should partake in more exchanges in universities or institutions. A major difference is that this does not involve recognizing Chinese educational degrees,” Tsai Ing-wen said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MO YAN-CHIH
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS