8th June 2023 – (Taipei) The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, based in Taiwan, has announced plans to invite 50 college students from mainland China to visit the island in mid-July. The trip will last nine days and include visits to several Taiwan universities, scenic spots, and relic sites. The mainland students, from five universities including Hunan University, will engage in dialogue with their peers in Taiwan.
The foundation’s executive director, Hsiao Hsu-tsen, called on the island’s mainland-affairs authority to prudently consider the plan and resume normal exchanges across the Taiwan Strait as soon as possible. He emphasised that the invitation is conducive to conveying kindness and promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.
Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou led a group of Taiwan students on a visit to several mainland cities in late March to early April, during which the delegation had exchanges with mainland college students. Ma personally invited mainland students to visit Taiwan during these exchanges.
Since May, the foundation has been working on the invitation, and mainland China has been actively responding to these efforts. Hsiao stated that this shows that it is the common aspiration of both sides of the Strait to have exchanges with each other.
The invitation is a positive step towards promoting cross-Strait exchanges and fostering understanding between the two sides. Exchanges between students are particularly important as they represent the future of cross-Strait relations. The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation’s efforts to promote peaceful development and mutual respect between Taiwan and mainland China are commendable.