Embracing on the Other Side and Hatred on This: Taiwan Has Long Lost in the Cross-Strait Battle for the Youth

 Embracing on the Other Side and Hatred on This: Taiwan Has Long Lost in the Cross-Strait Battle for the Youth

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

 March 7, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

A group of pro-Taiwan independence youth hurled red paint on Chiang Kai-shek’s mausoleum on February 28, not only video-taping the process to boast of their deeds, even publicizing it with fanfare in a press conference. On the same day, the Chinese Mainland announced 31 preferential measures for Taiwan, with items covering a wide scope, opening a "green corridor" to attract Taiwan youth to the Mainland for studies and employment. On the same day, the two sides of the Strait staged scenes in sharp contrast, leaving people sighing in lament.

In the era of globalization, the cross-border flow of brains and capital is nothing special, but what people worry and feel regrettable about is that Taiwan's development in recent years has been going downhill. Looking only at how the two sides of the Strait treat students pursuing studies on the other side, simply a contrast will tell us that Taiwan has been doing the opposite of what Confucius has taught us, namely “those near are pleased, those afar come”; this is no small problem. Taiwan has set for Mainland students "three restrictions and six nos," i.e., no part-time jobs, no scholarships or financial aid, no staying in Taiwan to work following graduation, and several other limitations. These regulations make Mainland students in Taiwan rely solely on financial assistance from home and deprive them of the right to serve as research assistants in school. Despite the slight easing of the terms in recent years, the ban on work in Taiwan has not been relaxed.

Conversely, looking at Taiwan students who go to the Mainland for studies, they may stay to work following graduation and take part in state exams. The great gift of the 31 preferential measures for Taiwan this time, even broadened the categories of professional exams to over 100 for Taiwan students; they may apply for projects under various types of national planning funds. In order to facilitate Taiwan’s public to be interviewed for jobs, the Mainland has also promoted the upgrading of talent websites and enterprise recruitment systems.

The offensive of the Mainland’s preferential policy for Taiwan is powerful and will inevitably create a magnetic effect on Taiwan's talent. Looking at both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the other side greatly embraces Taiwan’s youth and this side deems Mainland students who harbor a longing for Taiwan as foes. The result is, we are afraid, that capable young people in Taiwan will stage an exodus, and those young people who are left behind will continue to face an environment of low wages, spinning in the whirlpool of working in hardship.

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