Amid criticism of a Ministry of Education (MOE) plan to recognize diplomas issued by 41 Chinese universities, Vice Minister of Education Lin Tsung-ming said Wednesday that the policy has not been finalized and that further discussions on the issue are needed. Echoing remarks made by Education Minister Wu Ching-chi a day earlier, Lin said the ministry has initially projected to make the policy retroactive to 1997, but will continue to heed public opinion in this regard, as it has become a major concern. In addition, the MOE is projecting to allow Chinese graduate students to pursue master's courses at Taiwan's public universities, while local private universities will be permitted to enroll college students from China. In terms of the maximum number of Chinese students allowed to pursue higher and advanced studies in Taiwan, Wu said that the number will range between 0.5 percent and 1 percent of the total number of every year's freshman intake -- about 2,000 per year. Each university will be authorized to enroll a maximum 2 percent of Chinese students, apart from its local freshmen, he added. Wu expressed hope that relevant law amendments will clear the Legislative Yuan as soon as possible so that the policy can be implemented in time to allow local universities to enroll Chinese students from next autumn. Responding to the MOE plan, some private universities keen on the opening measures complained of the 2 percent restriction on Chinese student enrollment, describing it as 'too low.' Shih Hsin University President Lai Ting-ming urged the government to raise the limit to 5 percent and to recognize qualifications from more Chinese universities. Fo Guang University President Weng Cheng-i agreed, saying that a 2 percent quota is too small at a time when Taiwan's birth rate continues to fall steadily. 