Xi Jinping bans ‘Western’ concepts from schools

Constitutional government, separation of powers and independence of the judiciary are now out. Previously, a directive had been issued encouraging students to report on teachers who deviate from the Communist Party line. Chinese liberals are a persecuted minority. Xi wants to promote China's ideological model in the world.

Beijing (AsiaNews) – Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched a campaign to ban Western democratic ideas from the country’s education system.

To this end, schools have been ordered to “oppose and resist Western erroneous views” such as constitutional government, separation of powers, and judicial independence.

On Sunday, the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) issued new directives, ordering teachers and students to follow the legal principles laid down by the Party and its General Secretary, Xi.

The order comes a week before the National People's Congress, China’s parliament, holds its annual meeting, which also marks the start of Xi’s third term in office.

This is not the first time that the CPC has issued directives of this kind. Communist authorities already encourage students to report on teachers who praise Western forms of governance.

Now the regime wants the CPC’s education policy to be fully implemented in schools. People should be educated "for the Party and the country” and observe a “socialist rule of law”.

In China, most people have accepted total control of the state by the Party in exchange for improved economic conditions. Liberals are a clear minority, persecuted by the government.

Reformist academics like He Weifang, Xu Zhiyong, and Xu Zhangrun have ended up in prison or lost their jobs because they called for the implementation of the rule of law in China (in its true, liberal democratic version), with freedom of the press, an independent judiciary, and the protection of human and workers’ rights .

China’s constitution mentions respect for individual freedoms, including freedom of religion, but everything is subordinated to the supreme interests of the CPC.

It now seems that Xi, who is both CPC general secretary and the country’s president, also wants to promote China's ideological model to developing nations.

In a recent speech at the Party school, he said that China offers a new path for human progress and that "modernisation" is not synonymous with “Westernisation”.

• china
• xi jinping
• communist party
• general office
• national people’s congress
• education
• rule of law
• democracy
• independent judiciary
• press freedom
• human rights