‘Confusion’ over China’s spy laws could be deterring foreign students: academic
- Submission to CPPCC proposes clarifying the legislation, along with other measures to halt decline in international student numbers
- Despite foreign students returning to institutions worldwide, China’s higher education sector has yet to return to its pre-pandemic peaks
Since the introduction of foreign-related laws, the implementing regulations had not yet been issued, “leading to some confusion”, he wrote in the submission, which was published on the WeChat account of the university’s Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding.
“For example, in the case of the recently introduced counter-espionage law, no implementation rules have been issued to clarify what information is to be collected and how it is to be collected, in a way that does not constitute a violation of the law and that has led to misunderstandings outside China.”
Jia’s assessment follows an unexpected blow to Beijing’s efforts to promote China’s higher education sector over the past decade, part of a broader soft power effort to boost its international image and build stable relationships with foreign countries.
But after the disruption of the pandemic, international students did not return when Covid-19 border closures were lifted early last year and China fully resumed student visa processing.
