A spokesperson from the Chinese mainland sharply criticized Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities on Wednesday for impeding educational exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.
Zhu Fenglian, the spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, described the DPP authorities' actions as having \"reached an unprecedented and unscrupulous level\" during a press conference.
Her remarks were prompted by recent decisions from Taiwan's education authorities, which have banned local universities from collaborating with mainland institutions such as Jinan University and Huaqiao University. Additionally, Taiwan has barred high schools from assisting students in enrolling in mainland universities, citing fears of \"infiltration.\"
Zhu dismissed these concerns as \"ridiculous and absurd,\" emphasizing that both Jinan University and Huaqiao University are esteemed institutions that have nurtured many outstanding students, including those from Taiwan.
She accused the DPP of attempting to manipulate public opinion and restrict students' rights to higher education in pursuit of its independence agenda.
\"The DPP sees normal cross-Strait exchanges as a threat and labels student interactions as 'united front tactics,'\" Zhu stated. \"This is a blatant attempt to create an 'information cocoon' and escalate hostility between the two sides.\"
Zhu further criticized the recent removal of a student leader at Taiwan University for allegedly receiving visiting mainland students and teachers, describing it as another intimidation tactic from the DPP.
She warned that efforts to suppress cross-Strait exchanges would ultimately fail, as people on both sides, particularly young students, are in favor of increased interaction.
Reference(s):
Mainland slams DPP for blocking cross-Straits educational exchanges
cgtn.com
