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LettersThe youth factor matters in peace across the Taiwan Strait
- Readers discuss educational exchanges between mainland China and Taiwan, why the US dollar is like the dodo, and the rise of India
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For former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou’s 73rd birthday last week, he not only received a gift, but also gave a present to people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. At his invitation, a group of mainland students and academics visited Taiwan. This group of 37, from five prominent mainland universities including the two most prestigious, Peking and Tsinghua, arrived on July 15 for a nine-day academic exchange programme in Taiwan.
During the trip, the students have been mainly visiting higher education institutions such as National Chengchi University and National Dong Hwa University. They will also have a chance to explore cultural heritage sites significant for both sides of the strait such as the National Palace Museum in Taipei, and scenic landscapes including Jiufen and Taroko Gorge.
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The past 20 years in Taiwan have been marked by political party changeovers. During his eight-year term, Ma focused on breaking from the previous leader Chen Shui-bian’s leanings towards de-Sinicisation and actively promoting educational and cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Strait. Youth exchanges reached a historical peak.
However, with the policies of the current leader, Tsai Ing-wen, and the pandemic, cross-strait youth exchanges have plummeted. This summer, most of the mainland students who enrolled in Taiwan in 2019, whether for undergraduate, graduate or doctoral programmes, are graduating. In the new academic year starting next month, there will be no new mainland students pursuing degrees in Taiwan.
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Back in March, when Ma went on an unprecedented trip to the mainland, he took young Taiwanese with him. This month’s visit by the delegation of students from the mainland also bridges the gap at a low point in cross-strait relations and offers a glimmer of hope.
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