DPP lawmaker Chang Ching-fang (張清芳) alleged yesterday that at least 10 brokerage agencies are illegally recruiting Taiwanese students on behalf of Chinese universities.
Chang held a press conference yesterday to make the allegations.
The lawmaker said the brokerage agencies were violating Article 23 of the Statute Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (
The article says that Taiwanese nationals and brokers are barred from recruiting students for any educational institution based in China. Violators can face a fine of up to NT$1 million or a sentence of up to three years in prison.
Flouting the law, several agencies have been recruiting students in public, promising to help Taiwanese students enroll in prestigious universities in China such as Beijing University, in addition to helping male students get out of compulsory military service, Chang alleged.
An agency located in northern Taiwan also boasted of its cross-strait study programs, he said. According to Chang, the agency told students they don't need to go to schools in China to study, but instead the agency will bring in professors from China to meet with students on a regular basis.
In this way, students can continue their work in Taiwan and obtain their degree after a certain period of time.
Another agency in southern Taiwan promises to help students enroll in prestigious schools in exchange for NT$600,000 to NT$1 million in fees.
"The practice not only violates the law, but also may involve in deception and inappropriate solicitation," Chang said.
Chang called for the government to crack down on these agencies.
"So far, not a single government agency has taken notice of the situation, nor has the law been thoroughly implemented," he said.
To solve the problem once and for all, Chang said the government should recognize Chinese diplomas and academic degrees as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Education has not yet recognized credentials issued by Chinese universities.
"Since President Chen Shui-bian's (
Chang said Taiwan should recognize degrees issued by universities in China for two reasons. First, more and more Taiwanese students have been pursuing their degrees across the Taiwan Strait. Second, mutual recognition of diplomas and degrees is inevitable in the wake of Taiwan's and China's accession to the WTO.
What's more, Chang said, recognizing Chinese diplomas is a way of expressing goodwill to its Chinese counterpart.
"However, the relaxation of the ban should not be unilateral. We also welcome Chinese students to study in Taiwan," he said.
People can take the Taipei MRT free of charge if they access it at Nanjing Sanmin Station or Taipei Arena Station on the Green Line between 12am and 6am on Jan. 1, the Taipei Department of Transportation said on Friday, outlining its plans to ease crowding during New Year’s events in the capital. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend New Year’s Eve events in Taipei, with singer A-mei (張惠妹) performing at the Taipei Dome and the city government’s New Year’s Eve party at Taipei City Hall Plaza, the department said. As people have tended to use the MRT’s Blue or
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
RSS