My Take | Is China a just society? Economic woes erode public perception of fairness

Education department authorities of China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region did an unusual thing over the weekend. They opened the 2008 files of the gaokao, the national college entrance exam, to determine if rising mainland actress Nashi had committed fraud to enrol in the prestigious Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA).

That investigation was initiated after the 35-year-old Nashi caused an outcry on Chinese social media when the actress hinted online that she had not “played fair” in her exam 17 years ago.

The team investigating the case found that Nashi did not attend a local high school, but managed to take the national exam with faked documents. She subsequently enrolled in the STA through a special arrangement, which required her to return to and serve in Inner Mongolia after graduation. Nashi, however, went to Norway for further studies after her time at STA.

Nashi’s use of subterfuge to get ahead touched a raw nerve on the mainland, where social justice has become a sensitive issue amid China’s yawning wealth gap and deepening social class ossification.

The gaokao, which has been in place since Deng Xiaoping resumed its operation in 1977, is widely considered the most important test to help ascertain social mobility on the mainland. It offers a relatively fair system of meritocracy – especially for children from less-privileged Chinese households – to secure a spot in a top university, paving the way for career opportunities and a decent living.