Fears about a brain drain have prompted Taiwan to look more closely at the mainland talent-recruitment programme.

Nature
Date:  01 July 2019
By: Andrew Silver

Taiwan appears to be tightening its grip on researchers who get funding from mainland China out of concerns that it may be losing talent and intellectual property to the mainland.

According to the Taiwan’s Central News Agency, the island’s government is investigating seven researchers for allegedly joining a prestigious programme sponsored by the mainland China government to lure academics to the mainland without the necessary permissions.

Although the Council for Mainland Affairs, which manages Taiwan’s relationship with the mainland, refused to comment on this directly to Nature, it did say that it was increasingly monitoring the mainland’s attempts to attract Taiwan’s high-tech talent and industrial technology.

It also said Taiwan’s cabinet, the Executive Yuan, has directed its Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) to send letters to universities, research and education institutions to remind their staff that they need permission to participate in major research programmes, such as the Thousand Talents Plan, or receive mainland China government funds.
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