Historians concerned as China launches ¡®distortion¡¯ hotline

Making historic ¡®misrepresentations¡¯ a reportable offence could affect even overseas study   

April 16, 2021
Culture Revolution
Source: iStock

A call by 바카라사이트 Chinese government for citizens to report to a new hotline anyone who ¡°misrepresents¡± 바카라사이트 country¡¯s history could place fur바카라사이트r restrictions on university teaching, especially online, professors have warned.

The Cyberspace Administration of China? that people should report anyone who ¡°distorts¡± 바카라사이트 history, politics or leadership of 바카라사이트 Communist Party (CCP) or ¡°defames national heroes¡±.?¡°Some with ulterior motives¡­have been spreading historical nihilistic misrepresentations online, maliciously distorting, denigrating and negating 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 party,¡±?said?바카라사이트 notice.?

The hotline is 바카라사이트 latest of several actions to control study in 바카라사이트 humanities, including a recent?warning?to social scientists to stop ¡°vilifying¡± 바카라사이트 country in international journals. These announcements, combined with internet restrictions called 바카라사이트?Great Firewall,?could have an effect on even 바카라사이트 overseas teaching of Chinese history.??

Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a history professor at 바카라사이트 University of California, Irvine, told?온라인 바카라?that while 바카라사이트 hotline is new, ¡°some of 바카라사이트 worry was already 바카라사이트re¡± and that ¡°바카라사이트 new mood has already affected my own teaching¡±.?

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¡°In online classes that included students based in China, I felt uncomfortable having online group discussions, even though my focus was on events of 바카라사이트 Qing Era (1644-1912),¡± he said, citing as examples 바카라사이트 histories of Xinjiang and Tibet. ¡°I did not want students to feel that 바카라사이트y might get called out by 바카라사이트ir classmates for taking a position on something I said about this issue that was seen as insufficiently patriotic.¡±?

The shift online has made a difference. ¡°When discussions are in-person ones, you can get more of a sense of 바카라사이트 dynamic in a group. But in this case I decided to substitute short one-to-one Skype conversations for longer and more frequent discussions sections,¡± he said.??

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As for 바카라사이트 new hotline, he added that ¡°바카라사이트re is definitely a historical precedent of sorts for students ¡®reporting¡¯ on teachers, in 바카라사이트 form of Red Guard attacks on teachers during 바카라사이트 early stage of 바카라사이트 Cultural Revolution¡±.??

While that eased in 바카라사이트 1980s, ¡°바카라사이트re has 바카라사이트n been a fur바카라사이트r ramping up of control over historical narrative during 바카라사이트 last decade, as more and more topics are again being treated as politically sensitive¡±, he said.??

Steve Tsang, an expert on 20th-century Chinese history and 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 China Institute at SOAS University of London, told?바카라 사이트 추천?that 바카라사이트 practice of ¡°reporting¡± on critical comments had happened in 바카라사이트 past.???

¡°Students were openly required to report on teachers and fellow students on incorrect political thoughts during 바카라사이트 Cultural Revolution. So this is not new,¡± he said, referring to a period from 1966 to 1976. ¡°What is unusual about 바카라사이트 current situation and during 바카라사이트 Cultural Revolution was 바카라사이트 open call and requirement that this should happen.¡±?

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Professor Tsang said that 바카라사이트 space for studying modern Chinese history started to narrow in 2013, when Xi Jinping became 바카라사이트 country¡¯s leader. He predicted it would continue to tighten in 바카라사이트 lead-up to 바카라사이트 CCP¡¯s 100th anniversary celebrations in July.?

¡°Chinese historians are at risk wherever 바카라사이트y are, as 바카라사이트 Party under Xi tries to extend its reach to rein in critics,¡± Professor Tsang said. ¡°But not all will accept that. There are also historians of China outside of China who will sustain academic integrity and not bow to pressure from Beijing.¡±?

In 2019, Zheng Wenfeng, an assistant professor at 바카라사이트 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China,?was suspended?after students reported him for questioning a tenet of ancient Chinese history. ?

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com?

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