Anger as Chinese students are excluded from move to reopen Taiwan’s borders

The education ministry is under fire after abruptly reversing its decision to let Chinese students resume their studies in Taiwan. On Wednesday the ministry sent a notice to universities, stating that all degree-seeking international students would be allowed to resume their studies. But when speaking to press later that day, an education official said Chinese students would be excluded from the policy due to the state of cross-strait relations. KMT lawmakers have blasted the government for the decision, but officials say the suspension is only temporary.

Shocked, and disappointed. Ah Tsao represents a group that advocates for international students’ rights. He denounced the education ministry’s policy U-turn, which has devastated Chinese students hoping to return to Taiwan.

Ah Tsao
International students’ group activist
Lots of students were rushing, of course. They knew the flights would be limited. So they booked tickets immediately. And then the same evening they get the news, and they’re devastated. We cannot understand why the government would make such a massive policy U-turn.

Earlier on Wednesday, the education ministry wrote to universities, saying that with the pandemic easing, all foreign students would be allowed back into the country. But Chinese nationals, who make up the majority of foreign students, were blindsided when officials rescinded their green light that night. Halfway through an evening press briefing, deputy minister Liu Meng-chi stepped offstage for several minutes. When he came back, he announced that Chinese students were excluded from the reopening.

Liu Meng-chi
Deputy education minister
In light of the developments in the cross-strait situation, we have decided to suspend the reopening for Chinese students who are not graduating this year.

The decision incensed lawmaker Chen Yu-chen, who chairs the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee. She led a group of KMT lawmakers to the Mainland Affairs Office on Thursday.

Chen Yu-chen
KMT lawmaker
Of course Chinese youth can’t compete with the U.S. secretary of health. They can’t even compete with foreign laborers. This is what the Tsai government is telling us. There is really a hierarchy of lower and higher. That’s not how government should be. Please have some empathy.

Lin Szu-ming
KMT lawmaker
To all our questions, they say, “The Central Epidemic Command Center makes the decisions.” But the epidemic command said that on this issue, it came down to the Mainland Affairs Council, which made a choice based on the cross-strait situation. I think, trying to pass the buck like that shows how irresponsible the government is.

After some negotiations, the legislators got Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong to join an Internal Administration Committee meeting, where they thrashed the issue out.

Chen Ming-tong
Mainland Affairs Council minister
There are more than 3,000 Chinese students. But in reality, the ones who are really desperate, clamoring to get back here – there are only about a dozen. We’re on high alert with coronavirus right now, so we want to have discernment in our policies. We’ve suspended Chinese students’ return for now, but that doesn’t mean we’re not letting them return. We will let them return, please be assured of that.

In July, final-year Chinese students were already given the green light to come back to Taiwan. Of over 1,000 eligible students, so far just 85 have applied for reentry. China is the one putting up obstacles, says the Mainland Affairs Council. Beijing’s travel permit officers have been demanding that Taiwanese universities remove the word “National” from their names, before students’ permits are approved. Students’ dreams of completing their studies have lots of hurdles to go yet.

📌Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated that the education ministry notice pertained to all international students. In fact, it only pertained to international students who had already begun study in a degree program.

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