“Ha! Your Western media’s up to its tricks again!” said my political editor with a mixture of mockery and satisfaction, laying particular stress on those two words “Western media.”
“What’s the story?” I asked.
“According your Western media, all foreign students are going to have to get out of Beijing in the summer. According to the Western media, that is.”
“Hang on a minute. Which ‘Western media’?”
“All of it. So you’ll have to pack your bags. According to the Western media.”
Three things: One, I’m not a student, so even if this story were true I wouldn’t have to leave. Two, I get on very well with this editor and he was just baiting me. And three, although I put that conversation in quotation marks I did not record it so I have no real certainty that those were our exact words.
But what is the story? And is it true or is it a repeat of the non-existent Bible ban?
EPA quotes Deutsche Presse-Agentur:
China plans to order all foreign students to leave the country before the Olympic Games in August, strictly regulate the issuing of business and tourist visas, and deport refugees, sources said on Thursday.
‘Even if you have to continue your studies in September, you need to leave Beijing in July and August,’ a spokeswoman for Beijing University told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
The spokeswoman said the two-month gap applies to all universities in Beijing and was ordered by ‘higher authorities’ because of the Olympics.
Shanghaiist is somewhat skeptical and suspects that foreign students’ problems might be limited to tighter visa restrictions.
Xinhua is adamant:
Overseas media reports that foreign students in China would have to leave the country during the August Olympic Games were “totally fabricated”, the Ministry of Education said here Friday.
“Recently, some foreign media say China requires foreign students to leave during the Games. It completely goes against the facts,” ministry spokesman Wang Xuming said.
Relevant departments and universities “have never asked foreign students to leave China during the Olympics and Paralympics. During that time, foreign students could stay and some of them would join volunteer services”.
He added international cooperation and exchanges in the educational field would proceed as usual, including accepting foreign students who would come to study in China.
So who do you believe? The Ministry of Education or Deutsche Presse-Agentur? The Global Times concluded that this was another deliberate German attack on the Beijing Olympics. Slightly exaggerated, perhaps. But the Global Times did do the obvious thing - ask Peking University:
“It’s a very strange thing. We didn’t know we were going to do this ourselves until we read the report!” When the Global Times interviewed a member of staff at the overseas students office at Peking University, the worker was clearly astonished, telling the reporter: “Peking University’s summer program for overseas students will go ahead as planned. It hasn’t been canceled at all. And the Peking University spokeswoman mentioned in the report simply doesn’t exist. We’ve only got one spokesperson and he’s a man.”
So, it would seem that the story is probably not true - at least as far as summer students are concerned. But everyone seems to agree that visa rules are being enforced with greater vigor. Anyway, we won’t have to wait long to be sure. Either foreign students will be enrolled in summer courses or they won’t. Meanwhile, I think I should say that most of the “Western media” appears to be treating the report with caution. Blame those perfidious Germans, not me. (Note to Germans: I’m joking.)
13 Comments
It’s a shame. I’m shocked that they will report completely faked news. To twist the news towards your side is one thing, but to fake news is outrageous.
The part about refugees being deported is certainly true. Beijing in particular has been home to many refugees in the past. The UNHCR in Beijing has been struggling to find safe third countries for asylum seekers with greater urgency this year. This is one of the first mentions I’ve seen of it in the news.
And many old China hands are finding their routine visa renewals to be fraught with new complications. Time will tell if any of this is Olympics related, or a more permanent tightening up of visa procedures.
Wow I am so shock the Western Media made up news…. OMG its Impossible. How could this be?
I think both are right. I think there was a evacuation order by the highest authority, and when it hit the western media, they backtrack.
how are those germans not perfidious? First they caption dozens of pictures from Nepal sayins it shows China`s opression, now they just make up news.
it shows again that journalists are a select club that only answer to themselves.
By making it harder and harder to extend a visa over August, and increasing the price for a shorter maximum stay, China *is* forcing a lot of foreign students and employees home before the Olympics.
First time I read the news I was freaking out because I´m a foreign student here, at the same university where the source of the news came from (Beida). The day after I asked and they just said everything was false. There are summer Chinese courses at universities and foreign students can stay here in July and August if they keep on studying in september…
It seems Der Spiegel (yes, that respected newspaper) also published it.
Thanks for the info, Dani. Any updates would be welcome. And if any other foreign students in Beijing have more information, please post it here.
This story was not made up by the Western media! I just read the same decree by the Chinese government that all foreign students must leave in July and August in an overseas Chinese newspaper!!!
Juan, can you give some more details please. What is the name of the overseas Chinese newspaper? Unless you tell us that, it’s impossible to verify your statement and assess the reliability of the publication. It would also be helpful to know the date of publication, some specific details of the report - and a link on the Internet if there is one.
Rob, obviously this overseas “newspaper” is that rag “Epoch Times” run by the Falun Gong nuts whose heads have been abducted by aliens.
hmm it would seems both sides are incorrect here as it does not seem to be ALL foriegn students who are being KICKED out… just most who are forced to leave due to the refusal of a visa renewal. even students who are attending next year are being denied visas and thus forced to leave during the olympics.a good freind of mine is being forced out in this same manner. however if your visa extends through the olympics you should be able to stay however it will be more and more difficult to renew as the olympics near
I think its a gross exaggeration to say foreign students are kicked out of china because of the olympics.Its a general situation for all foreigners applying for a visa renewal especially those of a particular nationality.In this case only foreign students applying for a renewal are being turned down with no good reasons.i have to head back to my country now because my renewal was turned down,i can only come back after the games.
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