A group of Taiwan students studying in China set up an association in Taipei yesterday morning, the first of its kind, to safeguard their rights and interests, Chinese-language media reported yesterday.
Founding members of the Association of Taiwan Students Studying in China (台生會) include more than 30 Taiwan students attending schools in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Tianjin, Xiamen and other major cities in China, the report said.
Chu Jung-pin (
He added that the association has yet to make progress or receive aid from relevant Taiwan authorities. Above all, Chu maintained that the association was a non-partisan group and expected all political parties in Taiwan, such as the KMT, the DPP and the PFP, to support its cause.
DPP lawmaker Hsu Chung pi-hsia (許鍾碧霞), whose son is studying in Beijing, joined the ceremony, accompanied by KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) and PFP lawmaker Diane Lee (李慶安).
Another DPP member, Shen Heng-teh (
Ting claimed it was high time a club was founded to help promote Taiwan students' rights and cross-strait rapprochement.
"Those who visit the mainland for studies are trailblazers in cross-strait ties as it's the best way to understand others' ways of thinking and to strengthen friendships with them," Ting said.
Ting added that the unsettling atmosphere across the Taiwan Strait was rooted in both sides' failure to face up to reality, the report said. Ting cited Taiwan's refusal to recognize China's academic accreditation as being impractical. One of the association's top priorities, therefore, is to urge the Taiwanese government to acknowledge degrees acquired in China.
Due to the current circumstances, the actual number of Taiwan students pursuing academic studies on the other side of the Strait remains a "puzzle." However, according to unidentified student sources, it is well-known that previously, China-bound Taiwan students, now in their 30s or 40s, would usually major in politics, Chinese herbal medicine, or economics, the report added.
Last but not least, KMT lawmaker Ting suggested that Taipei's Mainland Affairs Council (
INVESTIGATION: The case is the latest instance of a DPP figure being implicated in an espionage network accused of allegedly leaking information to Chinese intelligence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑) was detained and held incommunicado yesterday on suspicion of spying for China during his tenure as assistant to then-minister of foreign affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮). The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said Ho was implicated during its investigation into alleged spying activities by former Presidential Office consultant Wu Shang-yu (吳尚雨). Prosecutors said there is reason to believe Ho breached the National Security Act (國家安全法) by leaking classified Ministry of Foreign Affairs information to Chinese intelligence. Following interrogation, prosecutors petitioned the Taipei District Court to detain Ho, citing concerns over potential collusion or tampering of evidence. The
NEGOTIATIONS: The US response to the countermeasures and plans Taiwan presented has been positive, including boosting procurement and investment, the president said Taiwan is included in the first group for trade negotiations with the US, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, as he seeks to shield Taiwanese exporters from a 32 percent tariff. In Washington, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in an interview on Fox News on Thursday that he would speak to his Taiwanese and Israeli counterparts yesterday about tariffs after holding a long discussion with the Vietnamese earlier. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday postponed punishing levies on multiple trade partners, including Taiwan, for three months after trillions of US dollars were wiped off global markets. He has maintained a 10 percent
TRADE: The premier pledged safeguards on ‘Made in Taiwan’ labeling, anti-dumping measures and stricter export controls to strengthen its position in trade talks Products labeled “made in Taiwan” must be genuinely made in Taiwan, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday, vowing to enforce strict safeguards against “origin laundering” and initiate anti-dumping investigations to prevent China dumping its products in Taiwan. Cho made the remarks in a discussion session with representatives from industries in Kaohsiung. In response to the US government’s recent announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on its trading partners, President William Lai (賴清德) and Cho last week began a series of consultations with industry leaders nationwide to gather feedback and address concerns. Taiwanese and US officials held a videoconference on Friday evening to discuss the
PERSONAL DATA: The implicated KMT members allegedly compiled their petitions by copying names from party lists without the consent of the people concerned Judicial authorities searched six locations yesterday and questioned six people, including one elderly Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member and five KMT Youth League associates, about alleged signature forgery and fraud relating to their recall efforts against two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. After launching a probe into alleged signature forgery and related fraud in the KMT’s recall effort, prosecutors received a number of complaints, including about one petition that had 1,748 signatures of voters whose family members said they had already passed away, and also voters who said they did not approve the use of their name, Taipei Deputy Chief Prosecutor