All foreign Students need to leave Beijing July and August?

[flameproof]

This will be bad news, real bad news for some:

All foreign Students need to leave China July and August!

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/features/article_1400345.php/China_to_clear_out_students_refugees_before_Olympics

China to clear out students, refugees before Olympics Apr 17, 2008, 10:48 GMT

Beijing - China plans to order all foreign students to leave the country before the Olympic Games in August, strictly regulate the issuing of business and tourist visas, and deport refugees, sources said on Thursday.

'Even if you have to continue your studies in September, you need to leave Beijing in July and August,' a spokeswoman for Beijing University told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

In German:

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,548024,00.html

[roddy]

A careful reading of the article makes it sound more like Beijing, rather than all of China - summer courses might have been canceled in Beijing, I don't think that's the case in the rest of the country. I'm going to edit the title accordingly before we have mass panic.

I'd also be curious as to how this would actually be enforced. Can't see why you couldn't go and sit in another city for two months, or simply not answer the door. Massive over-reaction and a huge pain in the neck all the same.

[gato]

They are probably afraid of protesters....

[flameproof]

A careful reading of the article makes it sound more like Beijing, rather than all of China - summer courses might have been canceled in Beijing, I don't think that's the case in the rest of the country. I'm going to edit the title accordingly before we have mass panic.

I'd also be curious as to how this would actually be enforced. Can't see why you couldn't go and sit in another city for two months, or simply not answer the door. Massive over-reaction and a huge pain in the neck all the same.

The German link talks about "must leave the country". But sure, the source of information could be wrong. either way, I am not surprised. I also wonder how it can enforced if you have a visa that's still valid.

[roddy]

Yeah, the English article says quite explicitly " China plans to order all foreign students to leave the country before the Olympic Games in August", but the only source is a 'spokesperson' at Beida who says you have to leave 'Beijing', and that it applies to all universities in 'Beijing.'

[flameproof]

but the only source is a 'spokesperson' at Beida who says you have to leave 'Beijing', and that it applies to all universities in 'Beijing.'

A university spokesperson could only say that the universities are closed, he can close the door to the school, but hardly ask students to leave the country.

There is obviously some clarification needed.

[roddy]

Yeah, I'm not going to hold my breath for that . . .

[flameproof]

It's already demented by the foreign office:

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,548071,00.html

Seems all can stay, for now, but tomorrow is another day....

[imron]

A careful reading of the article makes it sound more like Beijing, rather than all of China

I'd also be curious as to how this would actually be enforced. Can't see why you couldn't go and sit in another city for two months,

Hence the reason everyone would need to leave the country. No good granting visas to students in Shanghai, who then decided to come to Beijing for the Olympics.

[lgna2000]

I don't think it is true. It dosen't post on any Chinese authority webside, also Government did not formally notice every foreign student to be out of China. Rumor stop at wisdom.

[mr.stinky]

"Beijing - China plans to order all foreign students to leave the country before the Olympic Games in August, strictly regulate the issuing of business and tourist visas, and deport refugees, sources said on Thursday.

'Even if you have to continue your studies in September, you need to leave Beijing in July and August,' a spokeswoman for Beijing University told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. "

*********************

my interpretations is that a beida spokesdude told the german press that all students

needed to leave beijing during the olympics, but meaning all students in the dorms had

to get out to make room for housing the thousands of volunteers. given the rents in

beijing, leaving the city would be understandable. the reporter perhaps misunderstood,

not knowing that beijing and china are not quite the same thing.

(as to refugees, i read somewhere that there are only 186 in china according to some

un office that tracks that sort a thing.)

[lilongyue]

I just called the U.S. embassy in Beijing, and they hadn't heard anything about it. I'm going to speak to someone at my school about it, and I think I'll try calling the embassy again after a few days, just to make sure.

P.S. Just called one of my teachers, they also hadn't heard anything about it.

[lgna2000]

This is absolutely not true. If you guys see this,but actually print in Chinese.

http://www.huanqiu.com/first/2008-04/94321.html

[roddy]

Hmmm, do the Germans have any supermarkets we can boycott?

[imron]

No, but they have luxury cars. I hereby declare that I won't be buying any German luxury cars in the near future Luckily, by the time I have enough money to purchase such a vehicle, this whole mess will have blown over and I can reassess my decision.

[Poemba]

I just heard this story is true. I read it all in the newspapers here in Holland. They have not yet confirmed why they are doing this, but they wil soon. So this really sucks!!!

So about 10.000students must leave the country and all the summer courses are cancelled. Crazy country..

[Lu]

The Taipei Times has it too.

But. That it's in the papers doesn't mean its true. Looking from this story, it's a rather vague rumour, quoting that same Beida spokeswoman (nameless), some other people who have heard about it, and the only source who would surely have correct information, 'a foreign ministry official' says he doesn't know a thing about it. As does the only person quoted by name, a Taiwanese official. I am guessing that most of the article was ripped straight from the wires, and that all the journalist did was call that official.

Poemba I'm sorry to tell you but reporting on China-related news in Dutch newspapers is huilen met de pet op. At least for NRC and Volkskrant, I don't know what you're reading.

[renzhe]

This story is lol. I'll bet you anything that nothing of the sort will happen.

Some good old political pressure from the media.

[imron]

This story is lol. I'll bet you anything that nothing of the sort will happen.

How much do you want to bet?

Although I'm sure students with existing visas won't be kicked out, I think students looking to renew their visas during this time are going to be in a tight spot.

[renzhe]

I'm sure they'll do some serious tightening of visas during the Olympics, but I'm also pretty sure that they are not going to "kick all foreign students out of China in July and August", and also sure that they are not going to kick them all out of Beijing for two months.