Mainland college students invited to visit Taiwan

The Taiwan-based Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation announced on Monday that it plans to invite 40 faculty members and students from seven mainland universities to visit the island, following a successful visit of mainland college students in 2023.

The visit is scheduled to take place from November 27 for nine days and eight nights, said Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the foundation, at a press conference, adding that the foundation will submit applications to relevant authorities and hopes for swift approval to facilitate the visit.

The mainland students and teachers will be from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhejiang University, Fujian Normal University and Beijing Sport University. The students will include Olympic champions, table tennis gold medalist Ma Long from Beijing Sport University, and shooting gold medalist Yang Qian from Tsinghua University, Hsiao said.

They will visit six universities in Taiwan, including Taiwan University, Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, Chengchi University, Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Chinese Culture University in Taiwan, and Chang Gung University, as well as the Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School, he said.

The itinerary will also include visits to scenic spots such as Sun Moon Lake so that mainland students will have an in-depth understanding of Taiwan's history and natural beauty. Additionally, the foundation will arrange baseball experience activities, allowing mainland students to engage firsthand with Taiwan's popular baseball culture.

This is the second such visit planned by the foundation. In 2023, faculty members and students from five mainland universities were warmly received across Taiwan, positively impacting cross-Straits relations.

In 2023 and 2024, Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, also led youth groups from Taiwan on visits to the mainland.