Taiwan parliament lifts ban on Chinese students

19 August 2010 18:48 (UTC+04:00) Taiwan's parliament Thursday passed a controversial bill to lift a long-standing ban on recruitment of Chinese students by local universities, dpa reported.

The move, following months of heated debates - some of which had turned violent - marked yet another sign of warming ties between Taiwan and rival China since the two sides mended fences in 2008.

Under the bill, some 160 colleges and universities in Taiwan will be allowed to admit up to 2,000 Chinese students per year initially, and the quota could be revised if there is a need in the future.

Chinese students, however, are not allowed to work during and after their studies in Taiwan, and are not allowed to receive scholarships from government funds.

They are not granted medical, law and other professional licences to practice on the island. "This is to prevent them from competing with local students in the future," said Nationalist Party parliamentarian Lu Hsueh-chang.

Taiwan has banned Chinese students for regular studies since 1949, but in recent years it has allowed a limited number of exchange students for studies for a semester in Taiwan.

Relations between Taipei and Beijing - rivals since they split at the end of a civil war in 1949 - have improved since Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008 and sought to engage the mainland.

The two sides recently signed a semi-free trade pact that would draw cross-strait economies ever closer.

Ma has also pushed for admission of Chinese students, believing it would help secure cross-strait peace after those students return home with democratic mindset they acquire during their stay on the island. California bus crash leaves approximately 40 people hurt
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