Taiwan intelligence urged not to recruit mainland students

BEIJING -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson Wednesday asked Taiwan's intelligence agencies to stop trying to recruit exchange students from the mainland.

The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office has noticed reports about the issue and is "highly concerned," said Fan Liqing, the office spokesperson, at a press conference.

Beijing-based Global Times reported on Monday that Taiwan's intelligence agencies have sent agents to contact mainland students studying on the island in an attempt to gain information from them and train them to spy on the mainland.

Cross-Strait relations have seen turbulence in past years, but people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have always wanted peace and development, Fan said.

"We are willing to make more efforts and work harder to promote cross-Strait relations," she said.

In a short statement on Monday, Fan said enabling mainland students to study in Taiwan is an important achievement in cross-Strait relations.

Taiwan intelligence agencies' attempts have compromised the safety of these young people and undermined education exchanges across the Strait, she said.

When asked if Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will meet Vincent Siew, senior Taiwan politician, during the upcoming APEC meeting, Fan said the two sides are still talking about the arrangement.