In the 1990s, China introduced a special version of its National College Entrance Examination for students from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, allowing them a lower acceptance threshold than local students. It used sales pitches, such as that China is a land of opportunity and has a similar culture, to persuade Taiwanese students to take the exam and attend universities and colleges in China.
On Sunday last week, the Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) reported that Taiwan has not permitted businesses to act as agents or consultants for overseas study in China.