Ma made the remarks after President Chen Shui-bian reiterated a day earlier that a government policy of “not accrediting university diplomas issued by China and banning Taiwan’s universities from recruiting Chinese students” will not be changed during the remainder of his term in office.

Addressing the opening of a southern Taiwan university and graduate institute exposition held at the Business Exhibition Center in Kaohsiung City, Chen said if the doors are opened, there could be an adverse impact on Taiwan’s employment market.

In response, Ma said that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait needs more interactions, stressing that if the DPP government is still reluctant to open the doors to China, all efforts by different sectors to help promote cross-strait exchanges will be in vain.

The pace and manner of opening Taiwan’s doors to Chinese students or allowing Taiwanese students to pursue studies in China can be discussed, but it is unwise for the government to adopt a long-term closed-door policy, Ma claimed.

He further warned that if the DPP government continues to close the nation to any interaction with China, Taiwan will not only be unable to reach out, it could also fall behind step-by-step.

Ma made the remarks during an interview with reporters after attending an international seminar held by United Way Taiwan (UWT) to mark the 15th anniversary of its establishment. UWT is a non-profit organization devoted to pooling resources to satisfy community needs.

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