(Exclusive) So desperate for money they lose their backbone? A Chinese-funded enterprise donates money, hangs up a banner reading "Xijiu Enters Taiwan," and the principal and inspector of Nanzhuang Junior High pose for a photo
April 22 is World Earth Day, and Nanzhuang Junior High School in Miaoli County chose this day to hold a nutritious lunch donation ceremony and a "One Day of Plant-Based Eating to Love the Earth" event. Unexpectedly, a photo taken at the event that day sparked a series of controversies in the local area.
"Jiuzhou Shengping Culture and Media Co., Ltd." from China, through the introduction of Huang Jinyuan, chairman of the Shitoushan Quanhua Temple, donated 600,000 yuan to provide free nutritious lunches for Nanzhuang Junior High School. After the donation ceremony ended, everyone held a red banner printed with "Xijiu with Soul Enters the Treasure Island of Taiwan" and took a group photo at the school gate.
The matter gradually fermented locally, and many residents discussed it. Some believed that Nanzhuang Junior High School is an educational venue and should not cooperate with entrepreneurs in taking promotional photos for alcohol. Others defended the school, saying that if an enterprise both donated money and requested a group photo at the same time, it would be hard for the school to refuse. Jiang Zhenrong, an inspector from the Miaoli County Education Bureau who appeared in the photo, specifically clarified that he did not know the content of the banner when the photo was taken, and he believed that "this kind of photo is very inappropriate."
Nutritious lunch shortfall of 300,000 per semester; the Chinese enterprise generously donated enough for a full year in one go
Nanzhuang Junior High School principal Zhan Jixiang said that Miaoli County Government was financially strained, and in the 105th year of the Republic of China it canceled school nutritious lunch subsidies, changing to parents paying the full amount themselves, requiring an extra 4,360 yuan per semester. Nanzhuang Junior High School has 183 students in total, nearly half of whom are from Indigenous families that previously enjoyed government subsidies. Since the cancellation in the 105th year of the Republic of China, after deducting low-income households, poor families, and families suddenly facing hardship that can receive full government subsidies, the school's average nutritious lunch shortfall is 300,000 yuan per semester.
After learning of Nanzhuang Junior High School's difficulties, Huang Jinyuan, a first graduating class alumnus and chairman of Nanzhuang Shitoushan Quanhua Temple, donated a total of 1.2 million yuan to Nanzhuang Junior High School for two consecutive years (four semesters) in the 105th and 106th years of the Republic of China. However, because incense donations have decreased in recent years, and due to the temple's needs for additional construction and maintenance of hardware facilities, Shitoushan Quanhua Temple did not continue donating to the school.
Principal Zhan Jixiang further explained that he did not know Hou Jiangshan, chairman of Jiuzhou Shengping, and only knew that Hou Jiangshan had gone to Shitoushan to offer incense and visit chairman Huang Jinyuan, expressing a desire to donate money to the temple for merit. Huang Jinyuan took the opportunity to transfer the funds to Nanzhuang Junior High School, directly funding a full year of nutritious lunch expenses.
Principal Zhan emphasized that recent social media posts had indeed caused trouble for the school, but his focus was on the aspects of children truly benefiting and parents' financial pressure being eased.
Local figures: The Ministry of Education should be alert and review the presence of Chinese funding at schools at all levels
In response, some local figures said privately that although they could not bear to criticize the school too harshly, they were also deeply worried: "Is Miaoli really this short of money? Is it really this miserable? If we don't pay attention in the future, Chinese money will absolutely fool the foolish Taiwanese!"
If the Ministry of Education is sincere and alert, it should as soon as possible review, for schools at all levels, the flow and use of Chinese funds and the extent of cross-strait exchanges in the education sector. Otherwise, if Chinese enterprises use money to boil frogs in warm water on campuses, even if students' stomachs are filled, what may ultimately be sacrificed is the democratic and free way of life.