Chinese University Expels Student Over Relationship With Foreigner, Citing “National Dignity”

Tone & Political Bias: Moderately Center-Leaning

Why: The article presents facts and multiple perspectives, including criticism from state media and social platforms, without endorsing any side.

What Happened

Dalian Polytechnic University in northeastern China has issued an expulsion notice to a female student, accusing her of “damaging national dignity” through “improper interactions” with a foreigner. The notice was posted last week and stated that the student’s “misbehaviors” on December 16, 2024, had a “terrible negative impact.” No specific details about the conduct were made public.

The university gave the student 60 days before the expulsion took effect. Her full name was included in the public announcement, though international outlets such as the Associated Press have withheld it for privacy reasons.

Public Reaction in China

The incident has sparked widespread online debate across Chinese platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin. Thousands of commenters questioned whether the university overstepped by intervening in the student's personal life.

Some social media users described the university's actions as authoritarian and likened them to “Taliban-style” moral policing. Others called out potential gender bias, asking if the outcome would be the same had a Chinese male student been involved with a foreign woman.

Link to Ukrainian Gamer Zeus

Many online users linked the unnamed student to videos posted by Ukrainian professional gamer Danylo Teslenko, known as Zeus. The clips, shared on Telegram, show Zeus with an Asian-looking woman in a hotel room. However, AP has not independently verified if the woman is the expelled student.

Teslenko confirmed the videos were filmed with a woman he met during the Perfect World Shanghai Major, a gaming event in December 2024. He later deleted the content, saying there was “no explicit content or anything disrespectful” and denied making derogatory remarks about Chinese women.

University's Policy and Nationalism Push

Dalian Polytechnic University justified the expulsion based on an internal rule prohibiting “improper interactions with foreigners that damage national dignity.” This rule, while vague, appears to align with China’s current emphasis on nationalism and social discipline, especially among students.

Critics argue that the lack of clarity about what qualifies as “improper interaction” makes the policy open to misuse. The expulsion also reflects broader concerns about surveillance and moral regulation in Chinese educational institutions.

Legal and Ethical Concerns Raised

The Paper, a state-run Shanghai-based newspaper, criticized the university’s decision to publish the student’s name. It suggested the move may have violated China’s Personal Information Protection Law and called it “improper to graft private affairs onto the public domain for public disposal.”

The incident has reignited debate over the balance between public morality enforcement and individual privacy rights, especially when it comes to gendered enforcement of such norms.

Unanswered Questions

As of now, Dalian Polytechnic University has not responded to media inquiries about the specifics of the incident or whether disciplinary action would have differed if the genders were reversed.

No official statement has been released clarifying what exact behavior led to the accusation of “damaging national dignity.”

Broader Implications

The case reflects a growing tension in China between personal freedoms and state-driven moral expectations. It has become a flashpoint for discussions on nationalism, gender roles, and privacy in the digital age. The backlash also highlights increasing discomfort, even among domestic media, with institutions that conflate private relationships with national identity.