Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

A Taiwanese public university yesterday confirmed at a forum on cross-strait affairs that it had changed its name in an effort to attract more Chinese students, while a Chinese academic dared Taiwan to join an “experiment in democracy” in China.

National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) has made extensive efforts to attract Chinese students, who will be allowed to enroll starting in September, NTNU professor Tsai Chang-yen (蔡昌言) said at the Cross-Strait Competitiveness Forum organized by the National Competitiveness Forum think tank.

In the school’s promotional posters and application brochures in simplified Chinese, the word “national” is not included in the school name, a move to demonstrate “goodwill” to China, Tsai said as he showed the poster to the audience.

Opinion polls show the majority of people believe the indictment of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) to be a matter of political manipulation and persecution because Lee’s talk about “ousting Ma to save Taiwan” has threatened President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) chances at re-election.

The “oust Ma to save Taiwan” mantra hits straight at the heart of the matter. It has frightened Ma, who has resorted to the political persecution of Lee.

That Ma has issued this judicial threat makes it clear that he is trying to eliminate anyone who promotes a Taiwanese identity.