Education minister not afraid of China’s threatsBy Rachel Lin / Staff reporterMinister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) yesterday said he is an “elegant Taiwanese,” adding that he is not afraid of being labeled by China as a “diehard Taiwan independence advocate,” after Beijing targeted him last week. Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao poses for a photograph in Taipei yesterday. While some people’s ancestors came from China, they are ROC citizens, Cheng said. These distinctions should be clearly explained to children through historical and international perspectives, rather than being conflated,” he said. “What we aim for is a democratic and law-governed society, and education should help children develop a clear, stable and noncontradictory understanding.”

Source: Taipei Times January 12, 2026 17:14 UTC