Agents ‘implanted’ anti-China content in overseas university applications, ministry says
- Spy agency says some education consultants ‘stirred up sensitive issues’ in submissions to boost Chinese students’ chances of success
Beijing’s top spy agency has hit out at education consultants it said “implanted” anti-China messages in the applications of students seeking admission to overseas universities.
In a post on WeChat on Friday, the Ministry of State Security said some education agents had “stirred up sensitive issues” and used “defamation and slander” to “provide ammunition to anti-China activities” in the applications.
It said this was done to boost the students’ chances of being accepted into foreign universities.
The ministry said there were “hidden risks” involved, and that smearing China in overseas university applications was a national security risk.
China is the world’s largest source of overseas students, and it has become common practice for them to use agents to apply for foreign universities to help them navigate unfamiliar education and admissions systems.
In the WeChat post, the ministry highlighted the case of a high school student it identified as Zhang. It said Zhang had been told by an agent there would be a much higher chance of being accepted at an overseas university if the student’s application letter was “polished”.