TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation (馬英九基金會) announced Monday (Nov. 4) that it has invited 40 students and faculty from seven Chinese universities to Taiwan for an academic exchange. According to the foundation, the visit aims to foster goodwill amid tense cross-strait relations by engaging with six Taiwanese universities.
Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑), the foundation's CEO, revealed that the delegation includes Ma Long (馬龍), the men's singles table tennis champion from the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and Yang Qian (楊倩), the shooting champion from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Hsiao emphasized the importance of civil exchanges in easing cross-strait tensions, stating that the visit aligns with President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) vision for healthy interactions between Taiwan and China.
Hsiao also mentioned that he discussed the plan to invite Chinese students to Taiwan during a July meeting with Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) and Deputy Education Minister Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成). Both officials responded positively to the initiative.
The visit, scheduled to start on Nov. 27, will last nine days and eight nights. It will feature cultural activities such as a trip to Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) and a baseball experience to showcase Taiwan's beauty and culture.