Taiwan university group visits Beijing

A group of 38 students and teachers from National Taiwan University arrived in Beijing on Tuesday as part of an exchange with counterparts from Peking University, adding to the spate of recent cross-Strait exchanges during summer vacation.

The exchange has been organized by both universities' management schools since 2001. Each year, students and teachers engage in reciprocal one-week visits, academic exchanges and visits to famous companies.

Following a three-year suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students from Peking University visited Taiwan from July 11 to 16.

The Taiwan group's visit to the mainland began this week in Beijing. They will also travel to Chengdu, Sichuan province.

The exchange follows the end of a nine-day visit to Taiwan by 37 students and teachers from five mainland universities on Sunday at the invitation of the Taiwan-based Ma Ying-jeou Foundation. It was headed by Hao Ping, Party secretary of Peking University.

During a welcome dinner on Tuesday night, Wang Bo, vice-president of Peking University, said that both sides of the Strait share the same roots and blood, and their emotional connection cannot be severed.

He said the exchanges are significant in promoting two-way communication and deepening the friendship between youths on both sides of the Strait.

Hu Shing-yang, dean of National Taiwan University's management school, said that the resumption of exchanges is meaningful, and the friendship between the two schools can only be sustained through mutual understanding and interaction between students.

Peking student Xiao Bohan said that during his group's visit to Taiwan earlier this month, he found that the students there were very friendly. They chatted about food, hometown specialties and their future dreams without any barriers.

He said he enjoyed sampling Taiwan delicacies, including oyster omelettes and bubble tea, and he is prepared to take Taiwan students to visit the mainland to try Beijing snacks and Sichuan hotpot.

Chen Chao-an, a student from Taiwan who is visiting Beijing for the first time, said, "Beijing is a city with many cultural and historical landmarks that I look forward to exploring in the following days."

He said he believes that promoting understanding between students from both sides of the Strait will have a positive impact on future exchanges.

Ko Tzu-yun, another student from Taiwan, said that she was impressed by the confidence of the Peking University students during their visit to Taiwan, and it was a precious opportunity to get to know and learn from each other.

During her visit to the mainland, she said she is particularly eager to visit e-commerce companies such as JD and learn about their business strategies.