TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's National Immigration Agency (移民署) summoned former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Monday (March 10) to clarify whether the 2024 visit by Chinese university faculty and students to Taiwan violated specific entry regulations. Ma's office confirmed the meeting took place in the afternoon, underscoring the importance of compliance with the relevant guidelines.
The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation (馬英九基金會) last year invited prominent Chinese figures, including Olympic gold medalists Ma Long (馬龍) and Yang Qian (楊倩), for academic exchanges in Taiwan. However, controversy erupted when students from the same group congratulated the "Chinese Taipei team" for winning the Premier12 baseball tournament, stating they would "work hard for the motherland."
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) threatened sanctions, potentially barring future invitations to Chinese students. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) criticized the foundation for allowing statements that allegedly diminished Taiwan's status and breached prior commitments to avoid unrelated political discourse.
During a legislative interpellation last December, Chiu indicated that administrative penalties might follow, possibly preventing the foundation from inviting such groups for six months to five years.