Taipei [Taiwan] December 8, : The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated that the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation could face a ban of six months to five years for inviting Chinese delegations to Taiwan due to its improper handling of an incident involving a Chinese student group.
In a December 1 interview, a member of the group, which was invited by the foundation established by former President Ma Ying-jeou for a nine-day exchange trip, referred to Taiwan's national baseball team officially known as "Chinese Taipei" as the "China Taipei team" while congratulating them on their victory in the WBSC Premier12 Championship, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.
The comments triggered controversy in Taiwan, with lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) criticizing them as "diminishing Taiwan's status," while legislators from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) defended them as a common expression that should be respected.
Liang Wen-chieh , deputy head and spokesperson of the MAC, stated that the delegation might have breached several provisions under Paragraph 1 of Article 16 of the "Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People from the Mainland Area into Taiwan Area," Central News Agency (CNA) reported.
One of the provisions stipulates that if the inviting organization is found to have hosted "individuals from the Mainland Area whose actions or activities in Taiwan are deemed to pose a significant threat to national security or social stability," their applications may be denied for a specified period, depending on the severity of the situation.
Liang stated that the MAC will "soon" gather relevant agencies to decide on potential administrative penalties related to the incident, which could include a ban on the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation inviting delegations from China for exchanges for a period ranging from six months to five years, according to CNA report.
Liang stated that "China Taipei" carries a significant political implication that the people of Taiwan cannot accept, adding, "I believe former President Ma Ying-jeou would not have tolerated the term 'China Taipei' during his presidency."
According to Liang, the incident escalated over the past few days, eventually heightening social tensions on the campus of National Tsing Hua University on Wednesday, where some people displayed the national flag of Taiwan, while others held the national flags of China, CNA reported.
Meanwhile, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation CEO Hsiao Hsu-tsen, who bid farewell to the Chinese students at Taoyuan International Airport on Thursday morning, told the press that a five-year penalty imposed by the MAC would not only affect the foundation but also create a chilling effect on other organizations. He urged the MAC to refrain from adopting a "martial law mentality" that would hinder cross-strait exchanges.
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