Chinese Corporate Donation to School Arouses Controversy|陸酒商贊助南庄國中營養午餐 爆統戰爭議

Miaoli's Nanjhuang Junior High School received a lunch fund donation of NT$600,000 from a company at the end of April. However, the company was a China-based liquor manufacturer and the "Republic of China" national title on the big check prop used during the donation ceremony was covered up. After the event, the company pulled out a "Passionate Xi Liquor Enters Treasure Island Taiwan" cloth banner. School officials and local education bureau officials posed for a group photo, arousing the united front controversy. School officials said they maybe lack careful considerations, while the Miaoli County Education Department said sensitive or political controversies should be avoided.


A Chinese company recently donated NT$600,000 to Miaoli County's Nanjhuang Junior High School for school lunches. However, the year on the big check used during the ceremony was written as "2019" instead of "108th Year of the Republic of China." In the photo are the school's principal, company representatives, and a supervisor from the education department. The company also hung a red "Passionate Xi Liquor Enters Treasure Island Taiwan" banner in front of the school, sparking controversy.

(The chair of the company) said he would have to report to his board when he gets back and he may face some difficulties. He said he hoped we could agree to partially covering (the national title).

The principal says he does not know anyone at the company personally and the donation was facilitated by Shitou Mountain's Quanhua Temple. He also said the school agreed to cover the national title out of mutual respect and no one expected the photo to be posted on a Chinese website later on.

The donation is a good thing for the children. There's no need to overthink things all the time.

One observer says what happened was no big deal and doesn't need to be politicized, especially when rural families and children are benefiting. The local education department says it is still investigating the incident.

As no laws have been broken, we are of course optimistic. As for other details or areas where things might have been done differently, we will ask them to make corrections.
The department says nothing illegal happened and no one will be punished, but politically sensitive issues or cross-strait interaction are best avoided and schools should proactively file reports to the department when necessary to avoid controversy.



大大的支票看板，寫著廠商的捐款金額六十萬．不過上頭原本有中華民國字樣卻被遮掉，改成西元紀年2019．後方拍照的除了有南庄國中校長，還有來自中國的廠商代表，以及教育處的督學．另外一張在校門口，廠商則是拿出"情懷的習酒走進寶島臺灣的紅布條，引起統戰進入校園的爭議。

南庄國中校長 詹吉翔表示：「（對方)有提到說，因為他回去，雖然是董事長，回去在他的董事會裡，去報告的時候，可能會有些為難的地方，他提出來，希望我們稍微遮蔽(國號)的部分。」


校長否認和中國廠商有私交．強調只是透過獅頭山的勸化堂，提供營養午餐贊助，透過廟方引薦認識這名中國廠商，表示願意提供捐款．而在拍照當時，因為要用在款項核銷，也強調基於相互尊重，才將國號遮住，沒想到照片被刊登在中國網站。

民眾表示：「捐贈給偏鄉的儀式，我覺得，對小朋友是好的事情，可能很多事情，也不要太多聯想。」

民眾認為應該平常心看待，能減輕偏鄉孩子的負擔比較實際，沒必要泛政治化．但是涉及兩岸敏感議題，拍照當時也有教育處督學在場，縣府教育處表示將進行了解。

苗栗縣教育處長 徐永鴻表示：「我們沒有違反法令之下，當然樂觀其成，至於其他細節部分，或是瑕疵部分，我們會勸誡，要求改正。」

教育處表示，雖然過程不涉及違法，不會進行懲處，但涉及政治敏感的議題或是兩岸互動，除了要求各級學校應該避免，必要時也要先報備，避免爭議。