China’s President Xi Jinping warns Communist Party schools against ‘Western capitalist’ values

President Xi Jinping recently warned teachers at the Communist Party’s training institutes against spreading “Western capitalist values” and bad-mouthing state policies, the party’s flagship magazine has revealed.

“I have heard reports that some people disseminated Western capitalism values when lecturing at party schools, some talked out of turn and made reckless comments on party and state policies,” Xi told a high-level meeting aimed at improving the institutes’ work.

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“Some people purposely [focused on] finding faults, grumbling and making cynical remarks, and some took part in improper social events at will under the golden reputation of the party school,” Xi continued.

He demanded an end to such behaviour and told party training institutes to keep their teaching consistent with the central ­committee.

The party’s Qiushi magazine printed a full transcript of the meeting, which took place in December. The remarks came amid a ratcheting up of controls on ideology and free speech, particularly in regards to universities, the media, the internet and ­dissidents.

Xi said that “exploratory academic matters” should not be confused with “serious political issues”.