Beijing - China's education ministry on Friday denied
ordering foreign students to leave before the Olympic Games in
August, but one of the country's major universities said it had
cancelled summer courses and expected all foreign students whose
courses end this term to leave China by July 10.
A ministry spokesperson issued a statement saying that reports of
a ban on foreign students during the Olympics were 'false' and that
international cooperation and academic exchanges would continue
'normally.'
'The relevant stories are totally false,' the spokesperson said in
a statement posted on the ministry's website.
'They (universities) have never asked students to leave China
during the Olympics and Paralympics,' the statement said.
'During the Olympics and Paralympics, foreign students can
continue to stay in China legally,' it said.
But an administrator at the foreign students' office of People's
University in Beijing said summer courses for foreigners were
cancelled this year.
'We have no short-term training courses this year,' the
administrator said.
She confirmed that the courses were cancelled because of the
holding of the Olympics in Beijing and said that students whose
courses end this term would not be able to stay in China.
'This term ends on June 28 and the visas for students on courses
which end then will expire on July 10,' she said.
'It is impossible for these people to renew their visas if they
want to stay in China or travel in China,' she said.
A spokeswoman for Beijing University, which is one of China's most
prestigious colleges and enrolls hundreds of foreign students
annually on Chinese-language and other courses, on Thursday said most
of its foreign students were expected to leave China over the summer.
'Even if you have to continue your studies in September, you need
to leave Beijing in July and August,' said the spokeswoman from
Beijing University's international department.
She said the two-month gap applies to all universities in Beijing
and was ordered by 'higher authorities' because of the Olympics.
Beijing Univesity had also cancelled all short-term summer courses
for foreigners this year, she said.
News of the temporary measures for foreign students follows
tighter controls on business and tourist visas, and concern by the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that China has
started deporting refugees ahead of the Olympics.
Severe restrictions on the issuing of short-term and multi-entry
business visas in Hong Kong have already prompted complaints from
business groups and diplomats.
China appears to have acted partly in response to recent reports
that police uncovered at least two terrorist plots targeting the
Olympics, one source said, adding that other nations had taken
similar security measures in the past.
China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday defended the restrictions and
said visas were issued 'according to law.'
'I believe it will have no influence on normal business activities
in China,' ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said of the change in visa
policy.
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