Ma Ying jeou's 73rd birthday speech: Facilitating mainland teachers and students to visit Taiwan is the best gift for Ma Ying jeou's birthday. Hope | Mainland
Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying jeou celebrated his 73rd birthday on the 13th. He said that being able to facilitate the smooth visit of mainland teachers and students to Taiwan is the best birthday gift for him and also the most desired gift for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. I hope that cross-strait relations can fully resume normal exchanges.
On the 13th, Ma Ying jeou stated on Facebook that the situation regarding the promotion of mainland Chinese teachers and students to visit Taiwan was not optimistic at the beginning. The Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council even suggested giving up the application and privately informed him that "because it cannot pass the deadline.". I didn't expect the final twists and turns to come to a successful conclusion.
"Let us sincerely pray for the well-being of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, so that cross-strait relations can be fully restored to normal exchanges after a clear day.".
Ma Ying jeou also stated that after stepping down as the leader of Taiwan, he taught at Soochow University, with about half of the students coming from mainland China and getting along well. After the COVID-19 epidemic, students from mainland China almost stopped coming to Taiwan, which is detrimental to both sides of the Taiwan Straits. Because youth exchange is fundamental to cross-strait relations, politicians must attach great importance to it.
Ma Ying jeou stated that the invitation from the Ma Ying jeou Foundation to visit Taiwan this time was also his idea when he visited mainland China at the end of March and early April. At that time, he went to Wuhan University, Hunan University, and Fudan University for exchanges, and mainland teachers and students responded warmly, which moved him very much. After returning to Taiwan, he instructed his colleagues to actively promote, hoping to continue the heat of youth exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. When young people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait gain more understanding and friendship with each other, there is no need to worry about war and conflict.