BEIJING: China’s President Xi Jinping has called for allegiance to the ruling Communist Party from the country’s colleges and universities, the latest effort by Beijing to tighten its hold on education.

The government has campaigned against the spread of “Western values” at universities, and in January officials said the party’s discipline and anti-graft agency had sent inspectors to monitor teachers for “improper” remarks in class.

Beijing has cracked down on free expression since Xi became party boss in 2012, detaining and jailing activists and lawyers, muzzling internet critics and strengthening restrictions on journalists.

China’s colleges and universities must “serve the Communist Party in its management of the country”, Xi told a meeting on ideology within higher education, according to a report published by the official Xinhua news agency late on Thursday.

“Adherence to the Party’s leadership is essential to the development of higher education in the country”, Xinhua cited Xi as saying. He said China must “build universities into strongholds that adhere to Party leadership”.

Published in Dawn December 10th, 2016