Taipei, December 5
The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation may face penalties for a comment made by a member of a Chinese student delegation, according to Taiwanese Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng, the Taipei Times reported on Wednesday.
During an exchange organised by the foundation, a student from China's Fudan University congratulated the "China, Taipei" team on their victory in the Premier12 baseball championship in Tokyo, the Taipei Times reported.
Lawmakers questioned Chiu during a meeting of the Internal Administration Committee about whether the comments violated regulations for Chinese visitors to Taiwan. Chiu stated that the remarks, which he described as hurtful and belittling to Taiwan, were unacceptable, as reported by the Taipei Times. He suggested the comments likely violated the Regulations on Permission for Entrance of People of the Mainland Area Into the Taiwan Area.
"The comments hurt the feelings of Taiwanese and belittled Taiwan are unacceptable to the people of Taiwan," Chiu said, as quoted by Taipei Times.
Additionally, the foundation may have breached its agreement with the government, which prohibits political speech or propaganda for Chinese groups visiting Taiwan, he added. Chiu stated that once the group returned to China, the council would take administrative action. The student may face stricter evaluations for future visits to Taiwan, with potential bans ranging from one to five years. The foundation could also face restrictions on inviting other groups for a period of six months to five years, depending on the severity of the case, the minister said.