Taipei [Taiwan], December 19 : China extended its "united front" efforts to university campuses in Taiwan by offering students cultural activity opportunities in China, a source said, urging the Ministry of Education to enhance scrutiny of such programs, Taipei Times reported.
China has focused its "united front" activities on attracting young Taiwanese to visit China, using key phrases and words that appeal to younger people, such as "influencer," "movie" and "traveling," said an official familiar with "united front" efforts, who asked to remain anonymous, as per Taipei Times.
For example, over 40 young Taiwanese were invited to visit the China's Xinjiang Normal University to learn about Xinjiang milk tea, choreography and dancing, with the event later advertised by the Chinese Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper in a report published last month.
The Zhejiang Provincial Taiwan Affairs Office launched the "Taizhou Influencer Dream Camp," last month, that offered young Taiwanese programs to obtain certification as self-media professionals for a 2,000 yuan (USD 274.53) fee, with food, accommodation and transportation provided by the provincial government. In Hubei Province, a short film exchange meet-up was held alongside the Golden Flying Swallow cross-strait short film and video competition last month.
The official said the best version of China would be on display during such "united front" activities to impress and win over young Taiwanese, Taipei Times reported.
China attracts Taiwanese students, especially those on university campuses, with help from Chinese communist-related organizations in Taiwan or through political organizations that promote Chinese activities through universities' student affairs groups, they said.
The ministry is canceling funding to universities whose offices of student affairs cooperate with Chinese political organizations on "united front" efforts, the official told Taipei Times.
Young people visiting Xinjiang would only experience the bright side of China, but they should know that tens of thousands of Uyghurs in that area have been deprived their freedoms and even their lives, facing human rights abuses under the Chinese government, the official said.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor