A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday slammed attempts by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authority to push forward a revised middle school history textbook that takes a de-Sinicization approach and contains "Taiwan independence" content.
Such a textbook will poison the minds of young people in Taiwan, said Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a press conference.
Some scholars in Taiwan have found that the new textbook has removed many Chinese elements. For example, a 6,000-word section on the historic 1911 Revolution that appeared in a former version of the textbook has been revised, and approximately 300 words remain. The scholars say that such a move will leave the island's young students unaware of the facts and unable to understand the significance of the revolution.
"Distorting history, diminishing or even expunging the great achievements of Dr Sun Yat-sen and the revolution are just one part of the de-Sinicization and 'Taiwan independence' agenda," Ma said, stressing that any attempt of this nature cannot sever the historical bonds among compatriots on the two sides of the Straits, nor can it change the fact that Taiwan is a part of China.
The spokesperson also commented on recent reports that some patriotic celebrities from the island had sent their best wishes in celebration of the Oct 1 National Day, but were attacked and intimidated by certain pro-DPP media.
He said the mainland will continue to encourage cross-Straits cultural exchanges and welcome those in the Taiwan entertainment industry to develop their careers on the mainland, criticizing attempts from certain media to trouble and obstruct cross-Strait exchanges.
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