China's 'All-Inclusive' Xinjiang Trip for Taiwanese Teachers Draws Scholar Warnings of Ideological Infiltration

China's United Front Work Department is reportedly targeting Taiwanese teachers with an "8-day, 7-night" tour of Xinjiang, offering free accommodation and meals. Participants only need to cover their airfare and pay a small registration fee. This initiative, dubbed "Cross-Strait Youth Teachers' Northern Xinjiang Tour," is part of a broader effort by Beijing to engage with Taiwanese youth and educators. However, scholars are raising alarms about the program's true intentions, viewing it as a sophisticated ideological infiltration campaign. Experts like Hong Pu-chao from東海大學陸研中心 (Tunghai University's Mainland China Research Center) criticize China's strategy of targeting teachers. He argues that teachers, through their daily interactions, significantly influence students' historical understanding, national identity, and values. Therefore, influencing educators is seen as a more effective long-term strategy for China than one-off youth exchanges. The itinerary, which includes visits to Urumqi, Shihezi University, and Beidun Vocational Technical School, is designed to showcase a narrative of ethnic unity, economic development, and social stability in Xinjiang, deliberately omitting contentious issues like human rights and religious freedom. The program specifically targets first-time visitors to China, leveraging the impact of initial impressions to shape future perceptions and foster acceptance of official narratives. Scholars recommend that Taiwan's Ministry of Education and the Mainland Affairs Council establish mechanisms for information disclosure, transparency, and post-visit sharing regarding such exchanges to prevent them from becoming conduits for ideological influence.

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China's United Front Work Department targets teachers, aiming to spread ideological influence in the education sector.