Taipei [Taiwan], November 1 : China is systematically recruiting young Taiwanese academics to achieve "academic integration with Taiwan" and take the lead in research and technology, a recent report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said, as per Taipei Times.
The report, "On Taiwanese Citizens Teaching in China in Recent Years," showed changes in Taiwan's higher-education ecosystem and an increasing number of Taiwanese people taking higher-education teaching positions in China, as per Taipei Times.
China is reportedly recruiting Taiwanese people for professorships, especially in Fujian Province, where the provincial government introduced subsidies for full-time higher-education teachers from Taiwan from 2015 to 2018 and extended this policy from 2021 to next year, the report said.
As higher-education teachers often conduct research in fields related to academic development, industrial growth, technology, and national security, the report recommended Taiwan establish more comprehensive laws for professionals with critical expertise taking up teaching positions at Chinese universities to protect national interests, as per Taipei Times.
Tapei Times stated that although Taiwan's higher education sector is talented, many Taiwanese doctoral graduates teach in China because they cannot find positions locally, National Cheng Kung University political science professor Hung Ching-fu said on Sunday.
The report stated that these teachers graduated in Taiwan, China or abroad. The graduates have no feasible option but to stay in China due to the lack of opportunities in Taiwan, or for higher pay.
This carries significant implications for peaceful unification strategies and economic and political exchanges across the Strait, the report said, as per Taipei Times.
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping came to power, China's Taiwan Affairs Office coordinated with universities to pursue "academic integration with Taiwan," systematically recruiting young Taiwanese academics to "serve the motherland" and hoping to leverage their professional networks in Taiwan, Hung told Taipei Times.
As per Taipei Times, with the US-China technology war making it increasing difficult for Chinese students to study in the US, Beijing has been recruiting Taiwanese talent with backgrounds in science, engineering or postdoctoral research to take control of advanced technology development, he said.
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