Students use the Internet on a college campus in China. (Photo : Reuters)
The major news media outlets were quick to report on calls from Beijing that denounced "western values" on Friday.
China's education minister, Yuan Guiren, is quoted as saying that China should "never let textbooks promoting western values appear in our classes," while "remarks that slander the leadership of the Communist Party of China" and "smear socialism" are also unacceptable in educational contexts.
The government minister made the remarks at a Thursday forum that discussed the further development of ideological work in tertiary educational institutions. Yuan also called upon China's universities to reinforce the dominant ideology through both textbooks and the content delivered by teaching staff. Textbooks and materials with origins in western countries are to be closely monitored for detrimental material.
Yuan emphasized the role of teachers and institutions, asserting that students must be given positive guidance, while educational authorities must maintain the "political, legal and moral bottom line."
Remarks that slander Beijing or violate the Constitution will not be tolerated under President Xi Jinping's tenure, and personal discontent must never hamper the classroom environment.
Yuan's declaration is the latest in a series of actions that have been implemented by President Xi since he assumed office in 2012. The president, whose daughter studies at America's Harvard University, has focused intently upon the Chinese education system, leading to numerous high-profile cases that have attracted criticism from abroad.
Economics professor Xia Yeliang, formerly with Peking University, was removed from his post in 2013, even though he had served the institution for 13 years. Xia, who relocated to the U.S. afterward, believes that his divergent political views, which he was open about, resulted in his dismissal.
