Belgium: Former Vice-Chairman of the Students Club Talks about the Operation of the Chinese Embassies and Consulates Behind the Scenes

The NTD International Chinese Classical Dance Competition 2007 will be held at the Skirball Centre for Performing Arts at New York University, the goal of which is to promote Chinese Classical Dance and revive the orthodox Chinese culture. A week ago, New York University Chinese Culture Club (NYUCCC) made an open statement to slander the NTD International Chinese Classical Dance Competition and planed to interfere with the competition. Chen Yonglin, a former diplomat from the Chinese Consulate of the CCP in Sydney, points out that the Club was in fact planned and set up by the CCP General Consulate in New York.

Then, what are the relations between the Chinese Consulates abroad and the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations in all the countries? On this question, the reporter of the Epoch Times interviewed Mr. Yang Lixin, a PhD of Electron Department of Brussels Free University who is doing Computer Vision Research. He had been appointed for three terms as Vice-chairman of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association in Brussels

Many activities of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association had been in cooperation with the Consulate.

Yang said, “I came to study at Brussels Free University from China. Since 1997, I had been appointed as Vice-chairman of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association for three terms. As I had worked in the Association, I have certain knowledge about the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations overseas. Many activities organised by the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations are, in fact, in cooperation with the Chinese Consulates. The CCP Embassies have some political tasks and the related activities are organised by the Associations.”

The function of the Chinese Consulates in the bombing incident of the Embassy in Yugoslavia.

Dr. Yang said that the deepest impression left on me was the time during May and June in 1999 when a meeting was held by the Department of Education of the Embassy. The officials of the Embassy then talked about NATO’s bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia. At that time those leaders of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association were invited to the meeting and were asked to commit themselves. Later many students went to protest in Brussels.

One can see from this example that many activities of the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations are closely connected with the Chinese Embassies, to which, of course, some financial support is given by the Embassies and by its Departments of Education in particular.

With regard to the act of NYUCCC, he said that many students abroad thought that keeping a good relationship with the Chinese Embassies was meant to show the passion of their patriotism. They have a passion of patriotism but they mistake the CCP for China. In addition, most of the students abroad are not so quite clear about the secret manipulation of the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations by the Embassies with their related financial operation from behind the scenes.

“From my own personal experience, I would like to talk about the incident of the Chinese Culture Club, which happened recently at New York University, slandering the NTD Dance Competition. I have the feeling that, many a time, we Chinese students abroad do not quite know the real purpose of what the Embassies assign and of what the Embassies request us to do. Sometimes the Chinese students abroad may not be particularly clear about the fact that this is very often linked with political purposes. I think that many Chinese students abroad who maintain relations with the Embassies is just because of their patriotism but very often they can not tell the real difference between the CCP and China.

They feel that it is the expression of patriotism to maintain relations with the Embassies. In fact, the CCP regards itself as a mouth piece of China while doing things abroad, but the fact is that it can not represent the entire people of China. My own experience is that, being Chinese students abroad with certain educational background, on this issue, you should at least have your own opinion and you should make your own judgement rather than being made use of by the CCP Embassies as a political tool. Otherwise, you will really find out at a later time that you have been taken advantage of for most of the time.”

The Charter of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association of Wurzburg in Germany: All financial affairs shall be passed on to the Embassy after the Association is disbanded.

In addition, we can also see the inkling from the information issued on their web by the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations in all the countries. We have seen that the Charter of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association of Wurzburg in Germany issued on its web clearly reads: The Embassy should be notified if the Chinese Students and Scholars Association of Wurzburg in Germany is disbanded and abolished. All financial affairs shall be passed on to the Embassy after the Association is disbanded.