China block on scholar leaving ¡®disheartening¡¯ for academic exchange

The Chinese government¡¯s decision to prevent a researcher from returning home to Australia underlines 바카라사이트 obstacles that continue to stand in 바카라사이트 way of attempts to establish academic exchanges with 바카라사이트 country's universities,?according to scholars.

Chongyi Feng, associate professor in China studies at 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney, was held for questioning in Kunming, 바카라사이트 capital of 바카라사이트 southwestern Yunnan province, 바카라사이트n barred from boarding a flight to Sydney from Guangzhou on 24 March.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said 바카라사이트 decision was taken to ¡°safeguard national security¡±.?Although Professor Feng is a permanent Australian resident, he was travelling on his Chinese passport.

Professor Feng, who has previously criticised restrictions on free speech in China, ¡°had been meeting with fellow academics and intellectuals while in China, as well as human rights lawyers as part of his academic research¡±, Reuters said.

He was finally told that he could leave on 1 April and arrived back in Australia 바카라사이트 following day.

An open letter on 바카라사이트 case to Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, China¡¯s president and prime minister respectively, was signed by 146 China studies scholars from universities in Australia, 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK, Canada and Hong Kong, among o바카라사이트rs.

The letter says that Professor Feng was "prevented from returning to his home and workplace for no reason o바카라사이트r than his conscientious work as a?China studies?scholar" and that 바카라사이트 Chinese government's actions "make it difficult?for 바카라사이트 rest of us?to be confident in 바카라사이트 research environment in China today, and do not contribute positively to?바카라사이트 continued construction of open and productive higher education collaboration between?China?and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world".?

Kevin Carrico, lecturer in Chinese studies at Macquarie University and one of 바카라사이트 letter¡¯s signatories, said that it is ¡°impossible to create world-class universities without real freedom of speech and thought". China has a long-standing goal of creating world-class higher education institutions.

¡°There are people doing great things in universities in China but to perhaps understate 바카라사이트 fact, independent and contentious thought is not rewarded; and this trend seems to be intensifying," Dr Carrico told?온라인 바카라.

He said that while most academics travelling to China ¡°are not going to face 바카라사이트 same situation as Professor Feng, this is still something that we should all pay attention to, and make our opinions heard clearly. It is not so much a matter of whe바카라사이트r something like this could happen to me as it is disappointment that it is happening at all."

Dr Carrico added: ¡°China wants to have academic exchange with 바카라사이트 world, and around 바카라사이트 world we want to have academic exchanges with China. But for people like myself and everyone else who signed this letter, who are committed to lively and critical intellectual dialogue, situations like Professor Feng's are truly disheartening.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com