Minister bans ties with Chinese ‘United Front’ schools

Taiwan’s Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao said on Thursday 20 February that his ministry will no longer recognise qualifications from educational institutions that are affiliated with China’s United Front Work Department (UFWD), reports CNA.

The Ministry of Education will also ban any cooperation or interaction between Taiwanese universities and schools affiliated with the UFWD, which is a department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Cheng told the press.

The minister said that while he encourages Taiwan’s youth to look beyond the country’s boundaries and seek global opportunities, he does not think they should study in academic environments that serve political purposes. Schools affiliated with the UFWD have special aims and are not regarded as “normal academic-oriented” institutions, so it is necessary to halt any association with them, including sister school partnerships, he said.
Full report on the Focus Taiwan site