TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) has reinforced government opposition to academic exchanges focused solely on China, following warnings that Beijing is using student programs as unification tools. Speaking on Wednesday (May 14), Cheng responded to cautions issued aday earlier by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會), Taiwan's primary agency handling cross-strait relations, regarding potential political manipulation through educational exchanges.
Minister Cheng clarified that his agency actively encourages Taiwanese students to pursue global academic experiences beyond the narrow focus on mainland China. While the Ministry of Education (MOE, 教育部) supports international exchanges, these should not be limited to China, he explained, directing educators and students toward opportunities in Europe, the United States, and various Asian regions instead.
The education chief referenced recent travel advisories issued by the MAC warning of "associated risks" for Taiwanese citizens participating in Chinese exchange programs. When pressed about whether his ministry actively discourages academic interactions with China, Cheng took a firm stance, stating he would not only withhold support for such exchanges but would actively oppose and deny them.
The minister's comments follow MAC's alert issued a day earlier regarding Beijing's intensified recruitment of Taiwanese youth for summer exchange programs. Taiwan's cross-strait affairs agency specifically flagged summer activities as potential vehicles for political influence operations, expressing concern about China's strategic targeting of Taiwanese students through seemingly benign cultural and educational exchanges. ◼