TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Lawmakers in the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday (Oct. 2) approved of opening Taiwan Centers for Mandarin Learning (TCML) in Australia.

Minister of Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) said that 66 TCMLs were established in Europe and the U.S. over the past two years. Fifty-four of them were located in the U.S. while the U.K., France, and Germany each opened two, she said. Ireland, Hungary, Sweden, Belgium, and the Czech Republic each have one TCML, she added.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) suggested the OCAC set up TCMLs in Australia, given the growing importance of Taiwan-Australia relations, CNA reported. Australia is a popular destination among Taiwanese for pursuing their studies, vacationing, and working, he said.

DPP Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) also backed the idea, saying that places including New Zealand and Australia, as well as Canada, should be considered for TCML expansion.

He said expanding TCMLs to Australia has been discussed and raised with Australian representatives. However, no official response from the Australian government has been received so far, she said.

The minister explained that the current budget plan focuses on expansion in Europe and the Americas because it was included in the four-year medium-term plan. Hsu said she hopes Australia can be included in the next four-year budget plan, which begins in 2026.

Chao also mentioned cybersecurity at TCMLs, pointing to an incident last year in which Chinese hackers targeted a center in France. He asked whether the OCAC has upgraded its vigilance regarding the issue.

Hsu said that after the incident, the school was advised to report to local law enforcement, and immediate upgrades to cybersecurity were carried out. Special personnel were sent to Taiwan's overseas missions, Mandarin education centers, and affiliated organizations to provide cybersecurity consultation services, she said.

TCML serve as bases for Mandarin learning and promoting Mandarin teaching with Taiwanese characteristics, according to the TCML website.