Call for Openness: Academic Urges China to Ease Controls on Cultural and Information Exchanges Amid Global Concerns

China, described as 'confident', is advised to ease control over cultural and informational exchanges, according to an academic. The lack of meaningful interaction between Chinese scholars and their international counterparts is contributing to increased isolation, the professor cautions.

Wang Wen, who is the dean and a professor at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University, pointed out that as Beijing seeks to have a greater influence in global discussions, China has faced increasing scrutiny and criticism from Western nations.

Wang has observed numerous uncomfortable situations where Chinese academics at international conferences were posed "delicate questions" regarding issues from China's political maneuvers to human rights issues in Xinjiang or Tibet.

Wang mentioned that since China lifted its pandemic restrictions in 2022, he has participated in gatherings across over 20 countries and observed numerous academics struggle to adequately respond to questions from international audiences.

According to the article, topics that Chinese scholars often struggle to address at these gatherings are China's management of the Covid-19 pandemic, societal governance, and the strained relations with Taiwan.