MAC Press Release No. 003
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued the following explanation to clarify media reports saying that some mainland Chinese universities decided to suspend student exchange programs with Taiwan due to entry restrictions on their "accompanying teachers":
1. The government remains consistent in welcoming mainland Chinese students to come to Taiwan for study and exchanges; it also supports normal, healthy, and orderly academic and educational exchanges across the Taiwan Strait. With mainland Chinese students sharing their experiences in mainland China and young students from both sides interacting and studying together, they can enhance their mutual awareness and understanding. According to statistics from the National Immigration Agency (NIA), Ministry of the Interior, a total of 2,420 mainland Chinese students came to Taiwan for short-term programs between January and November, 2023.
2. Under the current regulations of the Ministry of Education (MOE), when mainland Chinese students apply to come to Taiwan for short-term programs, their respective mainland Chinese schools may apply for teachers to accompany the group. According to NIA data, four mainland Chinese schools, including Dongying Vocational Institute in Shandong, have applied for nine accompanying teachers to come to Taiwan in 2023, all of whom were issued exit and entry permits. In 2024, Quanzhou Normal University in Fujian applied for accompanying teachers to come to Taiwan. The NIA is currently processing the teachers’ permit applications.
3. In response to media reports that certain schools in Taiwan claimed that their mainland Chinese counterparts had suspended exchange programs due to the inability of "accompanying teachers" to come to Taiwan, the MAC contacted the relevant personnel at the mentioned schools and found that none of them had submitted applications to the MOE. This confirms that the information reported was inaccurate.