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.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
POLICY UNCHANGED? Despite Trump’s remarks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that US policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent since the 1970s US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again refused to make clear his stance on protecting Taiwan from a hypothetical takeover by China during his presidency. Asked by a reporter during a Cabinet meeting whether it was his policy that China would never take Taiwan by force while he is president, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I never comment on that,” he said. “I don’t comment on it because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” Trump also reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and said that Washington welcomes good relations with
RSS