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Opinion | How China’s treatment of international students hurts its public diplomacy
- International students remain barred from returning to China to continue their studies, and some are venting their frustration on social media
- China’s inability to control user responses on Twitter is undermining its careful social media messaging and the reputation of its higher education sector
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China has arguably invested more than any other country in public diplomacy initiatives during the last two decades. There have been glitzy events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which grabbed headlines and showcased China’s development to the world. There has also been heavy investment in education, both externally through Confucius Institutes and internally through efforts to attract international students to China’s higher education sector.
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Turning China into a popular destination for international students has been a key objective of China’s public diplomacy strategy. In 2010, then Vice-President Xi Jinping told a group of students from Southeast Asia, “I hope that every one after their studies will become friendly emissaries who know and are friendly with China, building communication bridges between China and each Asean country, and be forever a friend of China.”
Such sentiments were reinforced at the end of May during the 30th study session of the Politburo. Xi stressed the importance of people-to-people exchanges in creating favourable foreign public opinion for China, saying: “It is necessary to make friends, unite and win over the majority and continue to expand the international public opinion circle of friends who know China.”
International students are an important component of China’s efforts to create international friendships, and the growth of China’s international student numbers is remarkable. From 2009 to 2018, China’s international student population more than doubled to nearly 500,000.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, China was closing in on the United Kingdom as the world’s second-largest recipient of international students, with the United States in top spot. At the same time, China’s top universities have shot up the international rankings, putting China ahead of Japan in high-end, reputable universities.
However, the pandemic has interrupted China’s rise as an international higher education behemoth. The problem stems from China closing its borders to help control the outbreak. International students remain barred from entering the country since the decision to close the border was made in March 2020.
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