Chinese students signed ‘pledge of allegiance’ to CCP before going to Sweden: Report
Over thirty Chinese doctoral students had to sign an agreement pledging their loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) before reaching Sweden to continue their higher studies. The Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter published a report last week referring to the documents it obtained. The newspaper stated that nearly three dozen students signed letters before traveling to Sweden.
The doctoral students made their way to Sweden’s renowned Lund University through the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC), which is run by China’s Ministry of Education. The Scholarship Council supports international exchange with other universities worldwide.
The report from the Swedish newspaper stated that the doctoral students were also forced to sign a letter of allegiance stating that they will “serve the interests of the regime” and “never participate in activities that go against the will of the authorities”.
Families at home used as bargaining chips: Report
The report said that even the doctoral students’ families in Sweden could be part of the loyalty agreement. If the students fail to respect the assumptions of the loyalty documents, their families back home in China may find themselves in “financial debt to the state”.
In addition, the family members were alleged to sign a contract that makes them liable for damages if the doctoral students enrolled in Sweden do not complete their education. The student’s guarantor may not leave China for an extended period of time while the student is studying abroad.
How did it come about?
The issue came to light after a Chinese student at Lund University was told not to continue his education due to his poor academic performance. The student then became worried and said that the decision would result in problems for his family back home.
After the incident, Lund University reportedly asked another student at the school about their documents and found that they also had the same letter from the Chinese government with them.
Reports about the letters began to spread and other Swedish universities soon after began checking their students’ documents. Some of the universities mentioned in the report are Karolinska Institutet, Uppsala University and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
“There are uncertainties, for example what is meant by going against the interests of the Chinese state,” says Bob Harris, rector of research studies at the Karolinska Institutet, one of Sweden’s top universities that regularly receives over 30 Chinese students through the Chinese government’s scholarship system.
“For the time being, we have decided not to admit any more graduate students through CSC,” he noted.
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