Taiwan's education ministry says schools caught filing false reports about student trips to China will lose funding — a tightening response to what officials call Beijing's united front push aimed at ever-younger students.

• Schools must log all cross-strait trips on a government platform, and false filings will count against them in reviews.
• Punishment means cuts to grants for exchange programs and activity equipment — a serious hit for private schools, with penalties rising if problems continue.
• A government watchdog report found schools were skipping the paperwork, leaving officials blind to whether trips involve political messaging or student safety risks.
• Student numbers going to China have jumped sharply since the pandemic eased, spreading from universities down to high schools, middle schools, and even elementary students.
• Schools are barred from granting official leave for these trips during term time, and holiday trips must still be registered.

Outlook: Training sessions for university staff handling cross-strait exchanges are planned for the fall, alongside new classes teaching students how to read Chinese messaging critically.