President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday that the government's policy to open Taiwanese universities to Chinese students would be helpful to the long-term relations across the Taiwan Strait. Under this liberalization policy, the first group of students enrolling in postgraduate programs are expected to arrive next spring, and those enrolling in undergraduate programs are expected in the fall, Ma said while addressing National Taipei University's anniversary celebration. 'Allowing young people from the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to become friends during the early stages of life will help them develop a cooperative and competitive relationship, and allow them to think and learn how to resolve problems through peaceful means,' Ma said. Also, the government will encourage local universities to recruit more international students, in the hope that the ratio of international students will increase from 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent of all enrolled students within the next two years, he said. The president, meanwhile, reaffirmed his goal of gradually raising the country's education spending from 4.4 percent of gross domestic product to 6 percent. 