Dear College Student,
Welcome back to school! It’s exciting to learn that you’re interested in China. This topic is crucial if you’re concerned about the future of the United States and the broader free world. However, it’s important to understand that when you study China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is also scrutinizing you closely.
If you travel to China, anticipate that every device you bring will likely be hacked, and any emails or accounts you access could be compromised. You will also be watched and evaluated by Chinese intelligence officials. Your professors might not have touched on this aspect.
Economist Carsten Holz pointed out in a 2007 article that “academics who study China” often end up inadvertently pleasing the CCP through the research questions they choose or ignore, and through the facts they present or overlook. Almost two decades ago, he identified the tendency among China scholars to accept surveillance and internalize propaganda to maintain valuable connections in China, emphasizing the idea that studying China can feel a bit like studying the Mafia—something few would openly admit.
The few exceptions stand out, as the CCP often punishes scholars who broach sensitive topics by denying them visas. This is evident in the cases of Perry Link, Andrew Nathan, and Orville Schell, who brought attention to the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, as well as Adrian Zenz, who exposed human rights abuses in Xinjiang in 2018.
Many Americans are unaware that the CCP prioritizes two main goals: guarding against foreign academic interference and co-opting foreign academics to further its aims. This stems from the party’s origins in Peking University, where young scholars were influenced by Soviet representatives, highlighting that students and the ideas they encounter are significant.
This also reflects the CCP’s approach towards foreign universities. Historically, young Chinese Communists pretended to ally with the Nationalist Party to create a united front against foreign powers, allowing them to infiltrate military academies and recruit cadets. The upcoming centennial of the People’s Liberation Army will commemorate the moment these cadets openly embraced communism, revealing how naivete on the part of Nationalists enabled this infiltration.
Today, the naivete of American academics seems to serve a similar purpose.
For you, the implication is clear: if you probe any sensitive issues in China, you could face an exit ban or even imprisonment. The Dui Hua Foundation estimates around 200 U.S. citizens are currently detained in China, and just this summer, two American scholars—Min Zin and Youlin Chen—were imprisoned on vague espionage accusations, which the U.S. State Department labeled as wrongful detentions.
Alternatively, if you’re not cautious, you might get recruited, like Glenn Duffie Shriver, a Michigan student who, while studying in Shanghai, took money from Chinese intelligence for writing and job applications, ultimately serving four years in federal prison for espionage.
You don’t have to take such risks to learn about China or to contribute to its understanding.
Consider alternative ways to study the country remotely—like utilizing overhead imagery, interviewing refugees, and exploring historical texts, social media, and memoirs. If you need language training, Taiwan could be a better option. There are many resources available in this age of extensive sensors and open-source data.
If you’re still keen on visiting China, approach the trip like an anthropologist researching a highly skilled version of organized crime. To safeguard yourself, notify the U.S. embassy of your travel plans, including where you will be staying and for how long. Use burner devices, understanding that any account you access from China—burner or not—could be exposed. Essentially, if you don’t cut ties to your regular digital life, you might as well be at the headquarters of Chinese intelligence entering your passwords.
Act as if you are under surveillance at all times, even in your dorm or hotel room, and be mindful of who interacts with you or wants to stay in touch. These are details you will need to disclose if you ever apply for a U.S. government position.
Holz concluded his 2007 piece with provocative questions regarding the implications of academic compliance with CCP demands. He wondered when the party might extend its constraints beyond scholarship to broader Western freedoms and questioned the extent to which China researchers might prioritize their own interests over honest inquiry and education.
As you begin your studies on China, keep those questions in mind—and if Holz’s essential readings aren’t part of your syllabus, consider why that might be.
