‘Confident’ China should relax grip on cultural, information exchange: academic

‘Confident’ China should relax grip on cultural, information exchange: academic

China should cut red tape around international cultural exchanges and relax its internet controls to prevent the worsening of its information “decoupling” from the world, a leading academic said. Wang Wen, dean and professor of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University, noted that China had become a target for criticism by Western … Read more

Opinion | How China’s classroom culture of complaint has turned toxic – and not just for teachers

Opinion | How China’s classroom culture of complaint has turned toxic – and not just for teachers

For anybody unfamiliar with China, it might have sounded like an odd thing to say. In the lead-up to September 10, the day recognised by the central government as Teachers’ Day, President Xi Jinping underlined the rights of teachers and the need protect their high social status. As it suggested ways to implement Xi’s directions, … Read more

Opinion | If Deng Xiaoping were alive, he would worry about China’s shifting priorities

Opinion | If Deng Xiaoping were alive, he would worry about China’s shifting priorities

Now that China is at a crossroads again, amid widespread concerns over the direction of the country and the state of its economy, remembering Deng has taken on a special significance. Deng, who died in 1997 at the age of 92, would have been heartened but unsurprised to see that China’s economy has become the … Read more

Agents ‘implanted’ anti-China content in overseas university applications, ministry says

Agents ‘implanted’ anti-China content in overseas university applications, ministry says

The ministry said there were “hidden risks” involved, and that smearing China in overseas university applications was a national security risk. China is the world’s largest market for overseas study, and it has become common practice for students to use agents to apply for foreign universities to help them navigate unfamiliar education and admissions systems. … Read more

China’s top spy agency says foreign agents are targeting rare earths industry

China’s top spy agency says foreign agents are targeting rare earths industry

China is the top producer of rare earth elements, a group of 17 metals essential to modern technologies in sectors ranging from defence to clean energy. The country is also ahead on technologies for rare earths, which require intense processing to produce usable material. In December, Beijing banned the export of rare earth extraction and … Read more