The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) urged a legislative committee Wednesday to make a careful assessment of the situation before allowing Chinese students to enroll in local colleges. At the same time, however, several university presidents called for quick passage of relevant law amendments to allow them to study in Taiwan. During a review session held by the Education and Culture Committee to review amendments to the University Act and the Junior College Act, which would pave the way for local universities and colleges to recruit students from China, the DPP urged the committee to hold public hearings and make evaluations before making a decision. The DPP has proposed including in the law what it calls 'three limits and six noes' restrictions on Chinese nationals wanting to study in Taiwanese further education institutions. The 'three limits' refers to restrictions on the number of Chinese universities that the government plans to recognize, the total number of Chinese college students who can study in Taiwan and a limit on the types of diplomas issued by Chinese schools that will be accredited in Taiwan. Under its 'six noes' formula, the DPP demands that Chinese students must not be given preferential scores, their enrollment must not affect the number of places available for local students, they must not be eligible for scholarships, and must not be allowed to moonlight, obtain professional licenses or sit civil service entrance exams, and they must not be allowed to work or remain in Taiwan after graduation. Much attention was focused on whether the day's review session would end in legislative brawling again between the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and the DPP after violent clashes erupted between the two camps during two previous review meetings. DPP legislative caucus whip Trong Chai said the party would not boycott the session and expressed hope that the Ministry of Education and the KMT would take the matter seriously, saying that opening local universities to Chinese students is equal to recognition of Chinese academic credentials held by Chinese students. Other DPP lawmakers also cautioned that recognition of Chinese credentials would pave the way to allowing Chinese degree-holders to use their credentials to meet qualification requirements for national examinations for architects, certified public accountants and other professional and technical licenses, which could hurt the employment rights of local citizens. During the session, Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji reported that between 1985 and 2007, the number of Taiwanese students who enrolled in Chinese universities totalled 14,907. In 2009, Chinese universities recruited 1,900 Taiwanese students for doctoral and master's degrees. At present, China hosts about 6,775 students from Taiwan. The number of Chinese students in Japan reached 71,277 as of 2008, accounting for 60.2 percent of the total foreign students in that country, while a total of 44,746, or more than 70 percent, of foreign students in South Korea were from China, according to Wu, who said that admitting Chinese students to Taiwanese universities is aimed at enhancing the international competitiveness of local higher education institutions. He said that to protect Taiwan's overall benefits and interests, the ministry will uphold the 'three restrictions and six noes, ' as well as other complementary measures, and will negotiate with China on recruitment methods and the number of Chinese students who can be enrolled. National Taiwan University Vice President Chen Tai-jen said Taiwan should open its doors to Chinese students as soon as possible because it would make Taiwan's universities more diversified and international and would help local students to broaden their horizons and increase their competitiveness. As globalization of tertiary education is an irreversible trend and all higher education institutions around the world are seeking to attract top students and teachers, it would be strange if Taiwan were to prohibit Chinese students from studying here, he said. Ling Tung University President Michael J.K. Chen also criticized that while universities around the world all recognize China's major universities, Taiwan refuses to do so. 