To be objective, if those academic agreements are intended to steer students away from the separatism ideology, their clauses should also have labeled discussion of “cross-strait unification” and “one China” issues as no-no.
Taiwan News
Date: 2017/03/11
By: Qui Square, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer
It can only be labeled as “unbelievable” the academic agreements several Taiwanese
The photo shows Chung Hua University (Image courtesy of ehu.edu.tw)
universities have entered with their Chinese counterparts not to touch controversial political issues regarding relations across the Taiwan Strait, especially the issue of Taiwan independence, during instruction when there are Chinese students present in any class.
Whether these domestic universities were conscious of the political ramification behind the so-called academic “one-China” agreements or not, the fact that the blatant mistakes were committed by universities, where freedom of learning and research should be regarded as the Holy Grail, was just mind-boggling.
China asked the content of the agreements must include such wording as “course content must not involve any politically sensitive activities or any ‘one Taiwan, one China’, ‘two Chinas’ and ‘Taiwan independence’ activities” as well as “content of learning should not intentionally direct students to get involved in contentious cross-strait political issues.” The compulsory wording itself is objectionable and smacks of speech censorship. [FULL STORY]
