China
Uncertainty for Chinese students in the United States
Author: Xin Wang, Baylor University
Chinese students on US campuses have been caught in the middle of the deteriorating relationship between the United States and China. The anti-China rhetoric of US President Donald Trump and his hawkish advisors has created social distrust, leading to an unfriendly political and social environment for Chinese students in the United States. A recent Pew Research Center survey shows that negative views of China have shot up by nearly 20 per cent in the United States since Trump took office in 2016.
The Trump administration has reduced and limited optional practical training (OPT) for international students and limited H-1B and J-1 visas. The administration also threatened to issue an executive order to prevent international students from staying in the country if they enrolled in online schools for the fall semester of 2020.Trump explicitly called ‘most Chinese students spies’.
Three Republican legislators introduced legislation in May 2020 to ban Chinese students from graduate or postgraduate studies in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Chinese students accounted for about 13.5 per cent of the 42,227 students earning doctorates in science and engineering at US universities in 2018. This hawkish rhetoric has sent a chilling message to Chinese students.
The arrival of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020 disrupted on-campus classes in the middle of the semester. Chinese students fled home in the middle of the global outbreak as the United States became the global epicentre of the pandemic.
The United States has always been the top destination for Chinese students to study abroad. In the academic year 2019–2020, there were 372,532 Chinese students enrolled at US universities, accounting for 35 per cent of the total number of international students in the United States. US–China student exchange has been an important part of bilateral relations since 1979 when diplomatic ties were normalised between the two countries.
Chinese students have contributed to the US economy. Their tuition fees and living expenses contributed US$15.9 billion in 2019. This is significant given many US universities are facing financial challenges and declining domestic enrolments.
Top-tier US universities also compete for students from China to attract a diverse body of students and bring global talent to their campuses. Many universities hold the view that international students should be regarded as talent and not a threat to national security. Competing for high-end foreign talent is a trend among developed countries.
Germany and the United Kingdom have enacted new policies to favour immigration and the employment of highly skilled foreign talent. The Trump administration has instead put more restrictions on international students and skilled labour in an attempt to appeal to its core base, who preference de-globalisation under the slogan ‘America First’. As a result of Trump’s trade war against China, some US universities have reported asharp decline of Chinese students in 2020. Entry visas issued to Chinese students have dropped by almost 70 per cent in 2020 due to the combination of health, economic and political challenges presented by 2020.
Chinese students studying in the United States view the pursuit of higher education as an opportunity to broaden their horizons, build their credentials, receive a well-rounded education and understand Western culture and society. Studying and living overseas, especially in the United States, demonstrates their openness, eagerness and readiness to learn and immerse in the global community.
The Trump administration’s focus on deglobalising and decoupling means international students, especially Chinese students, are becoming victims of conservative US policies. Chinese students feel they are being unfairly scrutinised and politicised because of their Chinese nationality and ethnicity. The current political environment, the public health crisis and growing xenophobia have brought uncertainty to the future of Chinese students studying in the United States.
Some university presidents and scholars of China Studies have been outspoken about the Trump administration’s policies, including the presidents of MIT and Columbia University. In a recent open letter to the incoming Biden administration, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger criticised Trump’s policies on international students as damaging US higher education, the economy and society. The open letter requests President-elect Joe Biden to end Trump’s policies towards…
China
New Report from Dezan Shira & Associates: China Takes the Lead in Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024
China has been the world’s largest manufacturer for 14 years, producing one-third of global manufacturing output. In the Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024, China ranks highest among eight emerging countries in the region. Challenges for these countries include global demand disparities affecting industrial output and export orders.
Known as the “World’s Factory”, China has held the title of the world’s largest manufacturer for 14 consecutive years, starting from 2010. Its factories churn out approximately one-third of the global manufacturing output, a testament to its industrial might and capacity.
China’s dominant role as the world’s sole manufacturing power is reaffirmed in Dezan Shira & Associates’ Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024 report (“EAMI 2024”), in which China secures the top spot among eight emerging countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The other seven economies are India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
The EAMI 2024 aims to assess the potential of these eight economies, navigate the risks, and pinpoint specific factors affecting the manufacturing landscape.
In this article, we delve into the key findings of the EAMI 2024 report and navigate China’s advantages and disadvantages in the manufacturing sector, placing them within the Asia-Pacific comparative context.
Emerging Asia countries face various challenges, especially in the current phase of increased volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). One notable challenge is the impact of global demand disparities on the manufacturing sector, affecting industrial output and export orders.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
Chinese social media influencers have recently claimed that prominent Chinese-born Australian journalist Vicky Xu had posted a message saying she planned to return to China.
There is no evidence for this. The source did not provide evidence to support the claim, and Xu herself later confirmed to AFCL that she has no such plans.
Currently working as an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, or ASPI, Xu has previously written for both the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or ABC, and The New York Times.
A Chinese language netizen on X initially claimed on March 31 that the changing geopolitical relations between Sydney and Beijing had caused Xu to become an expendable asset and that she had posted a message expressing a strong desire to return to China. An illegible, blurred photo of the supposed message accompanied the post.
This claim was retweeted by a widely followed influencer on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo one day later, who additionally commented that Xu was a “traitor” who had been abandoned by Australian media.
Following the publication of an ASPI article in 2021 which exposed forced labor conditions in Xinjiang co-authored by Xu, the journalist was labeled “morally bankrupt” and “anti-China” by the Chinese state owned media outlet Global Times and subjected to an influx of threatening messages and digital abuse, eventually forcing her to temporarily close several of her social media accounts.
AFCL found that neither Xu’s active X nor LinkedIn account has any mention of her supposed return to China, and received the following response from Xu herself about the rumor:
“I can confirm that I don’t have plans to go back to China. I think if I do go back I’ll most definitely be detained or imprisoned – so the only career I’ll be having is probably going to be prison labor or something like that, which wouldn’t be ideal.”
Neither a keyword search nor reverse image search on the photo attached to the original X post turned up any text from Xu supporting the netizens’ claims.
Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke and Malcolm Foster.
Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Read the rest of this article here >>> Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
China
Guide for Foreign Residents: Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China
Foreign residents in China can request a criminal record check from their local security bureau. This certificate may be required for visa applications or job opportunities. Requirements and procedures vary by city. In Shanghai, foreigners must have lived there for 180 days with a valid visa to obtain the certificate.
Foreign residents living in China can request a criminal record check from the local security bureau in the city in which they have lived for at least 180 days. Certificates of no criminal record may be required for people leaving China, or those who are starting a new position in China and applying for a new visa or residence permit. Taking Shanghai as an example, we outline the requirements for obtaining a China criminal record check.
Securing a Certificate of No Criminal Record, often referred to as a criminal record or criminal background check, is a crucial step for various employment opportunities, as well as visa applications and residency permits in China. Nevertheless, navigating the process can be a daunting task due to bureaucratic procedures and language barriers.
In this article, we use Shanghai as an example to explore the essential information and steps required to successfully obtain a no-criminal record check. Requirements and procedures may differ in other cities and counties in China.
Note that foreigners who are not currently living in China and need a criminal record check to apply for a Chinese visa must obtain the certificate from their country of residence or nationality, and have it notarized by a Chinese embassy or consulate in that country.
Foreigners who have a valid residence permit and have lived in Shanghai for at least 180 days can request a criminal record check in the city. This means that the applicant will also need to currently have a work, study, or other form of visa or stay permit that allows them to live in China long-term.
If a foreigner has lived in another part of China and is planning to or has recently moved to Shanghai, they will need to request a criminal record check in the place where they previously spent at least 180 days.
There are two steps to obtaining a criminal record certificate in Shanghai: requesting the criminal record check from the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and getting the resulting Certificate of No Criminal Record notarized by an authorized notary agency.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
- New Report from Dezan Shira & Associates: China Takes the Lead in Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024
- Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
- Guide for Foreign Residents: Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China
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- New Publication: A Guide for Foreign Investors on Navigating China’s New Company Law
