Chinese student delegation may have violated regulations: MAC

Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Wednesday said a high-profile Chinese student delegation visiting Taiwan may have violated regulations governing visits by individuals from China.

Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have accused a member of the Chinese student group, invited by a foundation established by former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for a nine-day exchange trip, of making comments that "undermined Taiwan's status."

In a Dec. 1 interview, a member of the delegation from Fudan University referred to Taiwan's national baseball team -- officially competing under the name "Chinese Taipei" -- as "the China Taipei team" while congratulating the team on winning the WBSC Premier12 Championship.

Before attending a legislative committee meeting on Thursday morning, MAC head Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) told the press that the Chinese student group may have violated the "Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into Taiwan Area" and a written statement submitted by the foundation to the authorities prior to the visit.

The group may be involved in issues such as "undermining [the status of] Taiwan" or failing to honor commitments made in the statement, which promised to refrain from making political remarks or engaging in propaganda unrelated to the group's scheduled activities, Chiu noted.

"We deeply regret the uneasiness in the society caused by the incident," Chiu said, adding that the MAC would proceed with administrative punishment after gathering the relevant information.

During the legislative meeting, opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) asked Chiu to clarify the nature of the "inappropriate remarks" made by the Fudan student, to which Chiu responded that the term "China Taipei" is commonly used by the Chinese authorities to "belittle Taiwan."

"This is something that our people find inappropriate," he added.

Hsu, however, said that Taiwan is a country that values freedom of speech, noting that individuals may use expressions customary in their own country after arriving in Taiwan. "We, of course, respect that," she added.

Meanwhile, DPP lawmaker Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) criticized the student group as "the greatest insult to Taiwan's national dignity," accusing it of using the guise of educational and cultural exchange to undermine Taiwan's democracy and legal system.

Su further questioned Chiu on how long it would take for the relevant authorities -- including the MAC, Ministry of the Interior, National Immigration Agency, and Ministry of Education -- to conclude any punishment.

Chiu replied that the process would follow a set procedure, including summoning the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation to provide an explanation.

"Once we have complete information, we will handle the matter immediately," he said.

Chiu also mentioned that individuals from China who violate the regulations may face penalties ranging from a one-year to a five-year entry ban to Taiwan.

Inviting organizations in Taiwan may face consequences ranging from written warnings to bans on inviting delegations from China for exchanges lasting from six months to five years.

In response to the MAC's statement, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation CEO Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said that if the exchange had violated any regulations, the MAC would have informed them the trip would be immediately terminated.

As it has been four days since the Fudan student made the remarks and the MAC has not terminated the trip, Hsiao said this indicated that no regulations had been broken.

Meanwhile, a group of students from various schools, including National Taiwan University, where a protest was held on Tuesday to oppose the arrival of the Chinese student group, held a press conference on Wednesday to voice concerns over the nature of the exchange.

The group outlined demands such as rejecting exchanges with Chinese Communist Party members "masquerading as students" for propaganda purposes and advocating for reciprocal exchanges founded on mutual respect that will not undermine Taiwan's sovereignty.

In recent years, Chinese officials have increasingly used the term "China Taipei" instead of "Chinese Taipei," the official designation used by Taiwan when participating in international sporting events and most international organizations.

For instance, in 2018, Chinese diplomat Geng Shuang (耿爽) referred to Taiwan as "China Taipei" while addressing an incident related to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

Guidelines published by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency also mandate that Taiwan's sports teams be referred to as "China Taipei" or "China Taiwan."