April 18, 2008
Foreign students to be exiled during the Olympics?
Today we received the following two tips on our Contribute page:
Dutch news sources say that tens of thousands of foreign students in China are being told to go home. Supposedly, instructions have been handed down to Universities that they are not allowed in China during August and September - even if a student continues their studies next semester they have to leave.
Yeah, it was all over the German news yesterday too, that all foreign students have to leave China for the Olympics! It was spread by DPA, the German Press Agency. Today there seems to be a lot of confusion, since none of the students in China could confirm this so far!
As it turns out, some of our friends studying Chinese at various universities about town are now sh*tting in their pants as they were hoping to stay on in Shanghai a bit longer. Here's a report we found on EPA via Monsters and Critics:
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.
One Western education official estimated that at least 10,000 students would be affected by the order.
The official China Daily said about 190,000 foreign students from 188 nations attended courses in China last year.
A new story we found on Spiegel, however, may offer some relief to the jittery students:
Doch die Meldung wurde rasch nach der Veröffentlichung dementiert: Das chinesische Außenministerium konnte entsprechende Regeln für den Verbleib ausländischer Studenten während der Olympischen Spiele nicht bestätigen. "Ich habe nichts in dieser Hinsicht gehört", sagte ein Sprecher des Ministeriums der dpa. Es stehe fest, dass "die Ausbildung der ausländischen Studenten in China gesichert" sei. The report has been quickly denied soon after it was published. The Chinese Foreign Ministry was unable to confirm regulations for the continued stay of foreign students during the Olympic Games. "I have heard nothing in this respect," said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson to the DPA. It is however certain that the "education of foreign students in China is to be secured".Auch das Auswärtige Amt in Berlin hatte mit Zurückhaltung auf den Bericht reagiert, dem zufolge ausländische Studenten China während der Olympischen Spiele verlassen müssen. Es seien "keine entsprechenden Hinweise bekannt", sagte Außenminister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD).
Berlin's Foreign Affairs Office also met with restraint in response to the report that foreign students must leave China during the Olympics. "No such indications" have been made known yet, said Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD).[Translation by Shanghaiist]
Shanghaiist thinks that the problems foreign students will face will come mostly as a result of tightening visa regulations, not some state-sponsored drive to kick foreign students out, as that would leave quite a number of universities bankrupt.
UPDATE: The Ministry of Education responds to the German reports (h/t to reader hotshotdebut):
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.
If you are a foreign student in China and have something to say to us, write us at info AT shanghaiist DOT com.
Photo from Carsten Ullrich.
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A lot of the universities in bj are closing term early for the olympics and the Chinese students are asked to go home. This is due mainly to the fact many of the campuses are being used as venues for olympic events.
This sounds really strange. China's now doing a fine job of keeping all the foreigners with money away for the summer with all these new restrictions. This doesn't sound like the original plan.
This news is obviously false. Pls don't put this kind of shit on the title for trying to attract other's attention. thanks.
You can't blame Shanghaiist for commenting on what other media are reporting! It was quite a big story in Germany yesterday!
I don't know what's going on with German media recently, a lot of false information being used. It's a shame!
This is the official denial.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/18/content_8005209.htm
What a shame.
yeah they hate china and the make up stories... very nice...they can go to hollywood for a better development.
German media is nortorious for making up fake news about China. one of the much-publicized stories is Chinese premier's visit to AIDS viliage of Henan.they claim those patients were actors hired by local government. They apologized for it later. this one is also a lie. people can see some loopholes in it. now it is small test for your IQ. point out loopholes about this fake news
Xinhua and CCTV are also notorious for making up fake news about China, especially with regards to economic development, social whoremoany and having "market economy".
Burn China burn!
I don't know how this was reported or the original source, but I don't think there is any particular incentive for anyone to spread disinformation on this topic -- particularly when it is a matter of policy and therefore, easily contradicted. I suspect that something may have been misinterpreted or off-the-record comments may have been taken as official policy. In any event, this story was obviously misleading and moot.
I would concur. A lot of stories written by news organisations worldwide are written based on what someone overheard. Do you really think that all journalists wait until they hear an official proclamation about a subject to break the news? Occasionally news gets out that is not true, in which case someone publishes the "real" story. This does not mean the original story was published out of malice.
Note that it was ALSO a German publication that cast doubt on the original publication and that both stories carry the date of the 17th. So this was not even allowed to build steam in Germany.
Remember that libel is not libel unless you can prove that the original writer actually knew it was wrong. If the original writer thought it was true based on something he/she heard (perhaps he heard the spokeswoman incorrectly, or perhaps she misspoke. That does happen, you know), then there is no point criticising them too loudly.
If you want to take issue with someone, target the Ministry of Education. They are the ones saying that the report was "totally fabricated" (their words). This implies malicious intent, when most likely, the original reporter was probably just mistaken. In place of "totally fabricated" the MOE could easily have written "totally wrong", which would not have fanned any flames, and would have been correct.
A clarification has been published. Case closed.
GET OUT OF CHINA