File photo: On March 5, 2021, the day before the opening of China‘s National People‘s Congress (NPC), police patrol Tiananmen Square with dogs on a day of heavy air pollution in Beijing. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images.)
[People News] I previously heard from friends in Beijing that the CCP's control over universities has intensified. Monitors are not only assigned to key universities, but cameras are also installed in classrooms to oversee every word and action of teachers. Additionally, when teachers and administrative staff travel abroad, they are required to provide detailed accounts of their activities, the individuals they meet, and even the exact times of their flights. This information undergoes strict review and approval before being made public. Over the past two years, the frequency of political study sessions has also increased, with all participants required to clock in. If someone cannot attend, they must find another time to reschedule their learning. In essence, no one is allowed to miss this 'brainwashing' process. The aim of such control is to intimidate teachers, discouraging them from crossing the so-called political red line.
Why is this necessary? In 2025, the School of Education at Peking University conducted a survey, distributing questionnaires to over 1.2 million university students. The findings revealed that a teacher's political stance can influence students' attitudes by as much as 40%. This indicates that if a teacher expresses dissatisfaction with the CCP authorities or their policies, it could impact the attitudes of many young students, which is something the CCP, which has always aimed to keep the populace uninformed, cannot tolerate.
Additionally, the 2025 white paper from the Chinese Communist Party's Internet Information Office indicates that last year, overseas projects masquerading as 'academic cooperation' but actually containing ideological content surged by 21% compared to the previous year, with nearly half of these projects occurring in the higher education sector. This suggests that despite the various restrictive policies imposed by the Communist Party, there is still some leeway within universities to engage in projects that do not conform to the Party's requirements, thereby allowing for an understanding of external realities—something that greatly concerns the Communist Party.
A regime typically reveals its lack of confidence by increasingly suppressing freedom of speech. The current state of the Communist Party, grappling with both internal and external pressures, signifies a period of significant insecurity. Alongside the nationwide crackdown on VPNs, restrictions on universities have become even more stringent.
Recently, I learned about an unusual initiative: Tsinghua University in Beijing has launched a 'Teacher Ethics File + Annual Political Literacy Assessment' for 2025. In addition to reporting their annual research outcomes, teachers are now required to complete a form detailing their ideological dynamics, which must be submitted along with their professional title evaluations. For projects that receive foreign funding, teachers are mandated to sign a 'Dual Commitment to Academic Value and National Security,' which holds them accountable for their actions.
The aim of this approach is to ensure that if a teacher's political stance is deemed incorrect, they will face difficulties in areas such as professional title evaluations. While there were previously no specific regulations indicating that a teacher's 'statements' could impact their personal interests, new guidelines issued in early 2025 by eight departments of the Communist Party of China explicitly state that making statements that severely contradict core values on domestic and international platforms will lead to a unanimous rejection of professional titles and positions.
This level of control undoubtedly leaves university teachers feeling stifled. However, according to a friend of the author, some teachers are currently indifferent to societal issues and current affairs, focusing solely on their own personal lives. Among those who are dissatisfied, very few dare to openly confront the Communist Party of China, as everyone has their own vulnerabilities.
Luo Xiang (罗翔), a professor at China University of Political Science and Law who is well-known both domestically and internationally, once remarked that courage is the rarest of all human virtues. Although he has played a significant role in promoting justice in the country, including the understanding of justice and morality, he has publicly admitted that he lacks sufficient courage and that his actions are quite limited.
Indeed, in a one-party authoritarian regime where freedom of speech is increasingly curtailed, everyone, including Luo Xiang, is aware that courage comes with a cost. The Communist Party of China has made this 'cost' clear to both intellectuals and the general public through a series of brutal campaigns.
As former Czechoslovak President Václav Havel noted, in the face of totalitarian regimes, most individuals abandon their efforts, lose interest in national issues, escape reality, and retreat into their own circles. There is a growing disbelief in the effectiveness of citizens' opinions or public dissent. This is evidenced by the severe sanctions imposed by the courts on dissenters and those who voice objections. Society has fragmented into disarray. Free thought and creativity have become confined within self-referential circles, seeking refuge. The free association and communication among citizens, which once fostered a vibrant social life, are now banned. A suffocating atmosphere envelops the entire nation. A life fixated on money permeates society. People feel politically deceived and manipulated, leading them to distance themselves from politics. They are fatigued by all political ideologies. They witness firsthand how stark the reality is beneath the grandiloquent rhetoric. Just recently, a once-powerful force of unity has crumbled. People have become increasingly selfish, and fear hangs in the air. They are compelled to adopt a facade of compliance while internally rejecting belief in anything.
This societal condition is also backfiring on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as public trust in the CCP wanes, and mocking the party has become commonplace. Could this be a sign of a regime nearing its end?
(First published in People News) △
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