China Reform Monitor: No. 1130

October 9:

The Ministry of Education has issued a new directive on the “moral construction on the establishment of a sound long-term mechanism for universities.” The document, which is posted on the Ministry of Education website identifies “Seven Red Lines,” for “ethical violations in education,” including: (1) damaging the national interest through behavior that harms the interests of the students and school; (2) words or deeds that violate the party line, principles or policies; (3) research fraud, plagiarism, falsification of academic achievement misappropriation of others work, illegal use of research funding, including the abuse of academic resources and influence; (4) professors are prohibited from engaging in part-time income generating activities that influence their duties; (5) preventing favoritism in admissions, examinations, students selections and awards and scholarships; (6) teachers are not allowed to solicit or receive gifts, securities, gift cards, payment vouchers or other valuables; (7) sexual harassment or improper relationship with a student. The announcement also included an untallied eighth “red line,” an ambiguous prohibition against any “behaviors that violate university ethics.”

October 14:

Beijing has banned books by authors sympathetic to the Hong Kong protests; the latest move in a nationwide crackdown on intellectuals that began this year. “The future prospect for publication of books by people on the list is grim. These people need to navigate carefully,” wrote the official Global Times. Historical memoirs and books related to Christianity, Tibetan Buddhism and Islam will also be more strictly controlled. China’s biggest online booksellers were already listing several books that appeared as “out of stock.” According to the order, newly banned authors include Zhang Qianfan of Peking University, pro-democracy activist Chen Ziming, Taiwanese writer Giddens Ko, and Hong Kong commentator Leung Man-tao. Specifically singled out were books by Yu Ying-shih, a prominent Chinese American historian and former professor, that voiced support for the “Sunflower” student protest movement in Taiwan and encouraged Hong Kong’s students.

October 15:

Citing the Ministry of Education’s October 9th directive (see above) Xiamen University authorities have fired professor Wu Chunming for “multiple accusations of sexually harassing and having sex with female students,” saying “the behavior of the professor has been verified.” Wu was also kicked out of the CPC and his teaching credentials were revoked. On July 12, the University announced that he was prohibited from teaching, enrolling and advising students and established a special team to investigate allegations that: “he took advantage of his authority to impede the further study and graduation of students who wouldn’t comply (with his sexual advances).” The officialChina Daily noted that the new rules are a response to “cases of unethical behavior by university teachers that have popped up in recent years such as plagiarism, taking gifts or money from students and parents, and sexually harassing students or coercing them into having sex.”

October 16:

Addressing authors, actors, script writers and dancers at a symposium in Beijing, CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping instructed all Party committees to “fully implement the Party’s art policy” and “select eligible cadres who have both ability and political integrity, and work well with art workers,” so as to lead people to “tell the truth and follow the code of morality.” Xi said: “art works should present patriotism as the main theme and foster correct viewpoints of history, nationality and culture, as well as strengthen pride in being Chinese. Chinese art will further develop only when we make foreign things serve China, and bring Chinese and Western arts together via understanding.” Xi called for building an “academic and artistic democracy” including the “creation of more works that are both artistically outstanding and morally inspiring, in order to serve the people and socialism and to present socialist core values.” Artists should not “lose themselves in the tide of market economy nor go astray while answering the question of whom to serve.” They should not be “slaves” to the market, nor bear “the stench of money,” Xi said in comments carried by the official People’s Daily.

October 18:

“China is rolling out a major rural land reform which aims to promote large-scale farming and consolidate unused small patches of farm land under larger cooperatives,”according to a statement on website of the State Council. Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu said the plan will “promote the concentrated use of farm lands, nurture diversified agricultural businesses, and ensure that agriculture is a profitable business. In most regions, the time is actually already ripe for farmers to transfer their land use rights.” Han warned local cadre against “forcing land transfers against farmers’ will, which violates their rights,” and criticized companies that “rent transferred lands over long periods but their businesses are not related to agriculture.” Han said Beijing is determined to make gradual progress: “We cannot unilaterally pursue the speed of transfers for large-scale agriculture. The process will be pushed forward step by step based on the situations of different regions.”