Student tour to encourage cross-Strait relations amid tension

The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation announced on Monday that it has invited 40 students and faculty members from seven universities in the Chinese mainland to Taiwan for exchanges, including two Olympic champions, in order to promote goodwill amidst tense cross-Strait relations.

The visiting group includes Ma Long, the men's singles table tennis champion from the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, who studies at Beijing Sports University, and Yang Qian, the shooting champion from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics who studies at Tsinghua University, according to the foundation.

The group also includes individuals from Peking University, Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhejiang University and Fujian Normal University. The group has been invited to visit Taiwan for nine days starting on Nov 27 to engage in exchanges with students from six universities in Taiwan and to visit famous Taiwan landmarks.

Hsiao Hsu-tsen, the executive director of the foundation, said that at a time when cross-Strait relations are tense and people-to-people exchanges are particularly needed, the visit of students from these renowned mainland universities provides an opportunity for them to interact with Taiwan university students, listen to the voices of the Taiwan people, and understand the real situation in Taiwan.

"This interaction will help ease the atmosphere between both sides of the Strait and convey more messages of peace," he said.

Last July, a group of 37 students and teachers from mainland universities visited Taiwan for a nine-day trip to promote cross-Strait youth exchanges, facilitated by the foundation. This marked the first such visit in recent years.

"Wherever they went, they felt the warm goodwill of the Taiwan people, bringing positive outcomes to cross-Strait relations," Hsiao said.

Hsiao mentioned that the foundation has already submitted documents to the island authorities, and looked forward to swift approval to ensure that mainland students can come to the island smoothly.

He also said that the visiting group will have the opportunity to visit scenic spots such as Sun Moon Lake and experience the popular baseball activities in Taiwan.