Youths from both sides of the Taiwan Straits start a hike in Quanzhou, East China's Fujian Province, on November 20, 2024. Photo: IC

Taiwan regional authorities' ban on cooperation and exchanges with three mainland universities due to their links with the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Communist Party of China Central Committee has sparked criticism from some Taiwan students studying in these schools, who condemned the move as political manipulation that disregards their future prospects.

Cheng Ying-yao, head of the education department in Taiwan island, said Thursday that cooperation or exchanges between universities in Taiwan island and those affiliated with the UFWD will be prohibited, and that in the future the education department will not recognize the qualifications of these universities, according to Taiwan's United Daily News (UDN).

The three universities listed are Huaqiao University in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province, Jinan University in South China's Guangdong Province, and Beijing Chinese Language and Culture College, according to the report.

Cynthia Kung, a Taiwan student enrolled at Jinan University, told the Global Times on Friday that she was angry and frustrated by the move, as it left her and her classmates bewildered, especially those about to graduate, and came as an unexpected blow.

 "I could have had multiple options after graduation. For example, I could have been freely choosing whether to further my education in Taiwan or the mainland." Cynthia said. But now, she decided to continue her graduate studies on the mainland. 

Cynthia added that she and some other students from Taiwan like her chose to study in the mainland due to the reputation of the schools. 

In response to Cheng's claim that that universities under the UFWD serve a "special purpose," Cynthia said the university had never interfered with their daily lives; instead, the faculty had been very supportive, offering plenty of help.

Zexi, who is also a student from Taiwan studying at Jinan University, told the Global Times that this move is political manipulation at the expense of students' education opportunities, which is a manifestation of "not caring about whether they live or die."

The announcement also provoked widespread criticism on the island. 

According to UDN, Fu Kun-Chi from the Kuomintang (KMT) Party, who studied at Jinan University, criticized the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for ignoring the fact that Jinan University is globally recognized as a prestigious, century-old institution with strong academic achievements and diplomas. 

Fu expressed his disappointment about Taiwan's education authorities' move without any credible evidence.

The Lai Ching-te administration focuses solely on internal conflicts and continues to be a frog in the well, attempting to cause tensions in the Taiwan Straits with their old tricks, UDN reported, citing Fu's remarks. 

"Please do not jeopardize cross-Straits relations or Taiwan's basic academic standards, awareness, and exchanges with the outside world," Fu said. 

Sean Lien, vice chair of the Chinese KMT party, said on Friday that he was impressive with Jinan University, which is recognized as a leading university in the world and even outperforms some universities in Taiwan. Academic exchanges should not be a problem, Lien said, asking why DPP authorities were trying to thwart these exchanges, according to CRNTT.com.

Some legislators from Taiwan People's Party (TPP) also expressed their opposition to the education department, calling for protecting students' rights, the UDN reported Friday.