It was just a short note in a local paper. But she hit big waves in China. „Students who do not pass the political review are not allowed to take the university entrance exam,“ headlined the party newspaper „Chongqing Daily“ of the city of the same name. Admission would be denied if a candidate had a „bad morality“ against which „Four Basic Principles“ (the party’s claim to leadership based on Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong’s thought) or violated the law. This was reported by the local education authority. The term „political review“, which made some people think of the fifties when the right to study, depended on the class background and the political attitude of their parents and relatives, caused a stir.
tement that has affected tens of thousands of people in the Weibo social network is a measure of the general uncertainty that is currently spreading in China. Many observe with discomfort that under President Xi Jinping, a re-ideologization of all sectors of society breaks the mold. Practices such as denunciation and forced self-criticism, reminiscent of the dark days of the Cultural Revolution, are spreading. Many are wondering which direction the country is heading. Even inside the party, signs of ideological trench warfare are emerging.
Who should decide if someone has a bad moral or not ?, many of the angry Internet users asked. Others saw a return to the Cultural Revolution. Such comments were deleted within a short time by the censors. So intense was the public reaction that the Chongqing Education Authority felt compelled to clarify. At first she blamed the journalist of the party newspaper who misunderstood the matter. Such an ideological examination has also existed in recent years, said authorities head Luo Shengqi. However, he does not believe that any candidate has ever been excluded from university examination because of this.
That was apparently not enough to take the director out of the line. A few hours later, his agency took full responsibility for the incident. It was a mistake to use the term „political review“, it said in a statement shortly before midnight.
