News Desk
Taiwan has drawn a hard line against China, banning its universities from working with mainland schools tied to Beijing’s United Front Work Department (UFWD), the Chinese Communist Party’s arm for spreading influence overseas. On top of that, Taipei says it won’t recognize degrees from these institutions, a clear signal to Taiwanese students to steer clear. The move, rolled out Thursday by Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao, is the latest jab in Taiwan’s fight to block what it calls Beijing’s meddling in its affairs.
The decision zeroes in on three mainland universities: Jinan University in Guangzhou, Huaqiao University in Xiamen and Quanzhou, and Beijing Chinese Language and Culture College. These schools, Taiwanese officials say, are too cozy with the UFWD, a group known for pushing China’s agenda abroad, often under the guise of cultural or educational ties. “These universities aren’t just about learning—they’re tools for politics,” Cheng said, laying out the government’s stance. “We’ve got to stop these influence games to keep our democracy safe.”
The UFWD has a reputation for being Beijing’s quiet operator, targeting Chinese communities overseas and foreign institutions to sell China’s line—especially on Taiwan, which it claims as its own. Lately, it’s been leaning hard into educational exchanges, a move Taiwan sees as less about goodwill and more about slipping propaganda into classrooms. For the island’s independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, this ban is about drawing a line in the sand against a mainland they view as increasingly aggressive.
Not everyone’s on board, though. Critics are firing back, saying the ban chokes off academic freedom and torches the kind of cross-strait exchanges that could ease tensions between Taiwan and China. “This isn’t how you build understanding,” said Chen Ming, a professor at National Taiwan University. “We’re just walling ourselves off more.” Some worry it’s a knee-jerk reaction that could leave Taiwanese students with fewer options and less insight into the mainland.
Still, supporters argue it’s a no-brainer. “You can’t ignore what’s at stake,” said Lin Wei, a Taiwanese student who’d once eyed Jinan University. “I don’t love losing choices, but I get why they’re worried about Beijing’s reach.” Taiwan’s been on edge as China ramps up its pressure—military drills near the island and diplomatic moves to box it in have only made the DPP more dug-in.
The targeted schools aren’t random picks. Jinan University, for one, has long been a hub for programs that toe Beijing’s line, often painting Taiwan as a wayward province destined to return. Huaqiao University and Beijing Chinese Language and Culture College have similar rap sheets, accused of being UFWD outposts dressed up as academic centers. For Taipei, letting those ties stand isn’t just risky—it’s handing Beijing a megaphone.
This isn’t just about classrooms, either. It’s another chapter in the bigger clash between Taiwan and a China dead-set on pulling it back into the fold under Xi Jinping’s watch. The UFWD’s role in that push has Taiwan’s leaders seeing threats everywhere—from media to education. “We’re not just guarding our schools,” one official said off the record. “We’re guarding who we are.”
The backlash, though, hints at the tightrope Taiwan’s walking. Shutting down these exchanges might blunt Beijing’s influence, but it could also deepen the divide across the strait. For now, the DPP’s betting that the cost is worth it—a stand against China’s long arm, even if it leaves a few bridges smoldering.
Reports from Taiwan media.
