cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/39861120
Chinese students at UK universities are being pressured to spy on their classmates in an attempt to suppress the discussion of issues that are sensitive to the Chinese government, a new report suggests.
The UK-China Transparency (UKCT) think tank says its survey of academics in China studies also highlighted reports of Chinese government officials warning lecturers to avoid discussing certain topics in their classes.
It comes days after a new law came into force placing more responsibility on universities to uphold academic freedom and free speech.
The Chinese embassy in London called the report “groundless and absurd”, adding that China respects freedom of speech in the UK and elsewhere.
The regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), says freedom of speech and academic freedom are “fundamental” to higher education.
The new legislation, which came into force last week, says universities should do more to actively promote academic freedom and freedom of speech, including in cases where institutions have agreements in place with other countries.
Universities could be fined millions if they fail to do so, the OfS has said.
However, the UKCT report says some universities are reluctant to address the issue of Chinese interference because of their financial reliance on Chinese student fees.
[…]
China. The silent killer of the west. Most don’t realise the threat the CCP poses to our way of living
By “our way of living”, are you referring to the dystopian capitalism, rise of fascism and democratic backsliding?
I mean China actively supports all of these things in the West with fierce determination.
Our way of living as in Freedom of Speech, Human Rights etc. But yes you are correct that the chinese aren’t the only ones threatening these values. They have been under attack from Russian Fascists as well as American Oligarchs for Years now.
Yes yes, it’s all the evil foreigners meddling with the poor European volk /s
I was talking about freedom and Democracy everywhere not only Europe… American Freedom is under attack as much as Europeans is. Atm even more so. But yes the big actors destroying them are Russian Fascists, the chinese and American Oligarchs/fascists.
Do you truly believe that Europe is the only place that advocates for freedom of speech and human rights?
Quite the opposite, I guess you are not familar with sarcasm? I even added a /s to emphasise that.
So on a subject about human rights you reduced the scope to Europe because you were being sarcastic?
Enlighten us with a higher form of wit; what were you trying to say?
I was trying to say that we have plenty of home grown fascists and it isn’t all external influences (like the person I was replying to said), and without the local people pushing for it the international ones would have little chance to influence anything.
That’s fair, it came across as though you were denying the existence of external forces altogether despite the fact that misinformation campaigns and large amounts of funding to right wing parties are what have fueled the likes of AfD, Reform UK, PVV etc across Europe, as well as the current situation in America.
Yes, every country has its fascists, rapists, murderers etc… but that doesn’t make the possibility of external influence riling these groups to action any less plausible.
Also, I think like i’ve misunderstood your meaning, you’ve misunderstood the comment you were responding too; I don’t think the person you replied too meant external forces are the sole reason, but rather the driving force.
Imagine saying that while jumping to the defense of China, which in terms of dystopian capitalism, fascism and democratic backslide, is pretty much the poster child.
@dubyakay@lemmy.ca
The threat of a “dystopian capitalism, rise of fascism and democratic backsliding” you are talking about is real in the West, but in China it isn’t a threat anymore but sad reality already. The Chinese government is far ahead in that respect, and the linked report represents one more proof of that.
We have a lot of problems to defend and improve our Western democracies, but all those who say that China offers an alternative and better system have no idea what they are talking about.
Just because the west is fucked in some ways doesn’t make it okay for other countries to spy on students at universities. Assuming the headline is truthful.
I’m not “china bad, west good” but more than one thing can be fucked at the same time.
Are you referring to china?
I am not surprise that a feddit.nl is a blatant fascist orientalist
The first sweeping judgement I’ve read leveled at my instance. Finally!
Calm down and book yourself a therapeutic session.