Taiwan has placed sanctions on seven universities connected to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology over national security concerns, as stated by Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao, according to the Taipei Times.

According to the Taipei Times, Taiwanese universities and research institutions are not allowed to take part in any academic activities or exchanges with seven Chinese universities to safeguard important technology linked to national security. Since 2020, students and researchers from the U.S. have also been restricted from studying or working at these universities. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense established the universities, which Cheng said were dubbed the "seven sons of [China's] national defense," before handing them over to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. 

According to the Taipei Times, the seven universities are Beihang University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, and Harbin Engineering University. Cheng claims that these universities play a major role in the development of Chinese military hardware, aviation, telecommunications, chemicals, and material sciences, all of which support the objectives of the PLA and its "united front" programs. Taiwan does not recognise degrees from China's National University of Defense Technology, Naval Medical University, and Air Force University, even though these schools are part of Beijing's Project 985 and Project 211, which aim to improve academic standards, according to a report by the Taipei Times.

"Sometimes individuals make erroneous decisions due to a lack of information; the Ministry of Education combats this by providing information online and through career counseling in high schools," Taipei Times quoted Cheng as saying. Taiwan's Education Ministry is dedicated to making sure students and parents have all the information they need before choosing their educational paths. In 2018 and 2020, the US Department of Justice and the US Department of Commerce sanctioned 18 universities, including the "seven sons," to prevent the theft of technology. In order to obtain access to critical technology or information, the FBI has continuously insisted that Beijing coordinates efforts for scientists and academics to study and teach in the US.