In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has continued to expand its Taiwan-focused outreach through various exchange programs. More recently, it has shifted its attention to young Taiwanese teachers.
A summer exchange program titled “Cross-Strait Young Teachers’ Northern Xinjiang Tour,” organized through China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) system, is inviting Taiwanese teachers aged 45 and under to visit Xinjiang for an eight-day, seven-night trip. Participants are required to pay only their airfare and a registration fee of NT$4,000 (approximately US$135), while all accommodation, meals, and local transportation are fully subsidized, reported Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA).
The program has drawn significant attention from Taiwan’s education sector, academic community, and government.
Scholars have criticized the initiative, arguing that the CCP’s United Front strategy is aimed at those with the ability to shape ideology in educational settings. In their view, a single teacher can exert a far greater long-term influence than participants in one-off youth exchange programs.
Writer Zhao Xiaohui was even more blunt. Sharing a media report on Facebook, she wrote, according to Mirror Media: “You may think you’re getting free sightseeing and free lamb skewers. But in reality, you’re going there to serve as the CCP’s ‘whitewashing tool.'”
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According to the program itinerary, participants will visit Ürümqi, Shihezi, and other locations in Xinjiang for campus exchanges, cultural visits, and sightseeing activities. Local organizers will provide accommodation, transportation, and meals throughout the trip.
Because the cost is far below normal market prices for a comparable tour, observers have questioned whether the heavily subsidized program is driven by clear political objectives.
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On July 14, Shen You-chung, Deputy Minister of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), said that Beijing has increasingly relied on youth exchange programs as a vehicle for United Front work targeting Taiwan, reported CNA.
He explained that the decision to focus specifically on young teachers reflects the CCP’s recognition of teachers’ influence within schools. By cultivating long-term personal networks with educators, Beijing hopes to develop future “United Front nodes”—individuals capable of influencing students and shaping broader public opinion.
Shen You-chung pointed out that these fully subsidized hospitality programs are typically carefully choreographed. The itineraries are generally designed to showcase China’s economic development, infrastructure achievements, and local cultural characteristics, presenting only the aspects that the authorities want visitors to see. As a result, participants may overlook the political objectives underlying such exchanges.
He urged the public to keep in mind that “there is no such thing as a free lunch” and to carefully assess the potential risks before participating in exchange activities of this kind.
Several scholars specializing in China studies and cross-Strait relations also argued that, compared with the past—when students were the primary targets of exchange programs—Beijing has increasingly shifted its focus to young teachers. The reason, they said, is that teachers serve not only as educators but also as opinion leaders. They have a long-term influence on students and campus culture, and once personal relationships are established, they may remain subject to ongoing contact and influence in the future.
Writer Zhao Xiaohui warns: Don’t become a CCP ‘whitewashing tool’
Commenting on the issue, writer Zhao Xiaohui wrote on social media that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has in recent years actively sought to attract young Taiwanese teachers to Xinjiang through heavily subsidized exchange programs. She argued that the true objective is not merely cultural exchange, but rather to reshape participants’ perceptions of Xinjiang through carefully managed first-hand experiences.
She said that many people believe they are simply paying NT$4,000 for an opportunity to enjoy a free trip, local cuisine, and scenic attractions. “But in reality, you’re going there to serve as the CCP’s ‘whitewashing tool,'” she wrote.
According to Zhao, the CCP hopes that carefully curated itineraries will expose participants only to the prosperity and stability that officials want to showcase. After returning to Taiwan, participants may naturally tell friends and relatives that “Xinjiang is wonderful” or “it’s not like the way it’s portrayed abroad,” thereby helping improve China’s international image on Xinjiang-related issues.
Zhao noted that Xinjiang’s human rights situation—including allegations involving “re-education” camps for Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, as well as forced labor—has drawn significant concern from the United States, Europe, and other Western countries, with some products from Xinjiang becoming subject to sanctions. Against this backdrop, she argued, Beijing hopes that favorable accounts from foreign visitors who have toured Xinjiang will help diminish international criticism of its human rights record.
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She further argued that the CCP’s most effective United Front tactic toward Taiwan is not to openly demand support for the Communist Party, but rather to carefully design visits that encourage participants to internalize the official narrative based on what they believe they have personally witnessed. As a result, some may voluntarily defend the Chinese government’s position, arguing that international criticism of Xinjiang stems from misunderstanding or deliberate smears.
Zhao also warned that such exchange programs often do not end when participants return to Taiwan. After joining messaging groups and providing their contact information, participants may continue to be approached by organizers or related individuals through future exchange invitations and ongoing communications.
She urged young teachers to fully understand the background of the organizers, the objectives of the program, and the potential risks involved before participating, so as to avoid unknowingly becoming part of the CCP’s United Front propaganda efforts.
For its part, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated that the government supports normal, healthy, and orderly cross-Strait exchanges. However, it said it will continue to warn the public to remain vigilant about exchange activities that carry official United Front characteristics or rely on heavily subsidized hospitality as an incentive.
The MAC added that it will work with the Ministry of Education to strengthen awareness campaigns on campuses, helping educators identify United Front tactics and reduce the risk of being exploited for political influence operations and cognitive warfare.
