A group of Taiwanese graduates and students from schools in China and their parents demonstrated outside the Ministry of Education yesterday, calling the ministry’s plan to not recognize Chinese credentials obtained before the passage of several proposed amendments “discriminatory.”
Chen Cheng-teng (陳正騰), vice chairman of the Taiwan Students Union, told a press conference that the ministry’s plan was unacceptable to Taiwanese students studying in China.
“We have worked really hard [in China] but we are treated this way after returning to Taiwan. How are we supposed to accept that?” Chen said.
Jeff Chao (趙世聰), who has a master’s in law from Peking University, said the students wanted to be treated like “other Taiwanese citizens,” adding that they are not asking for preferential treatment.
“We attend school in China not because we do not love Taiwan. We can attend school in China and still come back to contribute to Taiwan,” Chao said.
The demonstrators were reacting to Minister of Education Cheng Jei-cheng’s (鄭瑞城) announcement on May 4 that although the government is planning to recognize Chinese credentials, this will not apply retroactively.
If the legislature approves the amendments proposed by the ministry, Taiwanese students or Chinese spouses who obtained their credentials from schools in China prior to the passage will not be able to use them.
Cheng Hsio-feng (鄭秀鳳), whose daughter is doing an internship at a hospital in China and preparing for examinations for a medical license in China, said the ministry should not discriminate against the students.
Cheng said it would be wrong for the ministry to punish the students for studying in China before the government officially recognized Chinese diplomas, because the ministry never imposed a ban on students studying in China.
“Studying in China is the same as studying in any foreign country. Students can choose to study abroad, so why can’t my child choose to study in China?” Cheng said.
In response, Chu Chun-chang (朱俊彰), a section chief at the ministry’s Department of Higher Education who received the protesters’ plea on behalf of the ministry, said the ministry had not finalized the regulations.
Chu promised to communicate the protesters’ complaints to his superiors.
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