The bombshell revelations about a scheme by which wealthy parents in the US allegedly conspired to fraudulently get their children accepted into elite universities have opened the door to wider criticism of the injustices in university admissions. These include the ongoing debates about affirmative action , accusations of racism , and legacy admissions , among others. Yet this most recent scandal overshadowed another case that made headlines this month and which sheds light on another issue plaguing campuses: accusations of academic dishonesty among Chinese students in the US. When I enrolled in the University of Maryland’s agriculture programme in 1950, I was one of just four Chinese undergraduates on campus. I would be the only one of this group to graduate. Everyone, from my classmates and professors, to the people I encountered outside of school, treated me warmly, especially when they discovered I was Chinese. Today, Chinese students at the University of Maryland face an inherently different educational experience. A professor at the university resigned last week following criticism over a statement he reportedly made to his class that “all Chinese students cheat their way into the US”. David Weber made the comments after accusing multiple Chinese students of cheating during the final exam for one of his courses. A subsequent university investigation did not fault most of the students who were accused, and they in turn accused Weber of racism. This scandal is similar to those playing out across universities in the US, where Chinese student numbers have steadily increased over the past decade. The flaws in the current system are contributing to the cultural misunderstanding, suspicion and anger that are poisoning relations between the two countries. Having spent over 50 years teaching at Georgetown University, I understand the complexities of the education system in the US and the realities confronting Chinese students. Decades ago, a typical Chinese student abroad was relatively poor, and had secured a highly competitive slot in a Western institution by merit. Today, with more competition for limited higher education opportunities in China, parents are increasingly sending their children to Western universities. While some are outstanding students, many others are the children of wealthy Chinese, who see their education at a prestigious American university as a commodity, or who view their time abroad as a four-year vacation. The Chinese influx coincided with changes in the American higher education system. Amid a growing reliance on grants and student loans, tuition rates have been gradually raised to levels few domestic students could afford outright. International students, who pay tuition in full, have thus become an increasingly critical revenue source. In this environment, US universities have incentives to admit Chinese students, and in turn the quality of admitted students has slid. Every Chinese student found guilty of cheating only reinforces negative perceptions of China There are now over 360,000 Chinese students enrolled in the United States. While foreign students have to meet English-language requirements, widespread fraud and under-regulation have led to scores of Chinese students who lack even basic English-language skills being admitted. As a result, some students cheat – through plagiarism , hiring ghostwriters , and/or copying from classmates. Previous exposés have unearthed complex frauds committed in China and the US to create exaggerated or fraudulent transcripts for Chinese students who are either too lazy or lack the English proficiency to do their own work. By some estimates, the number of Chinese students has begun to fall, as the trade war between the two countries undermines America’s attractiveness as a destination for Chinese students. At the same time, high-profile incidents in which Chinese students in the US have been charged with espionage have further soured the perception of Chinese in the US. UK still tops the class for rich Asians Every Chinese student found guilty of cheating only reinforces negative perceptions of China. Comparably, every American professor caught in a scandal over their rhetoric regarding Chinese students contributes to the perception in China of a racist, xenophobic America. A professor at the University of California Santa Barbara also sparked headlines last year, when he prefaced his remarks as a guest lecturer by warning students not to use phones or computers or to sleep during his presentation, with the instructions written out in both English and Chinese. The professor had noticed in a previous lecture that most students engaged in disrespectful behaviour were Chinese. Chinese students offended by his actions cried discrimination. Other professors at UC Santa Barbara, and at other universities in the University of California system, have said that in the past they felt pressured not to report cheating concerns regarding Chinese students because they knew how much of a financial asset such students were to the university. Both sides are culpable in the flawed system today, and both sides should take steps to improve it. Universities are doing American students a disservice by accepting Chinese applicants with exaggerated or fake backgrounds. They are likewise doing the Chinese students no good by placing them on courses which they cannot understand and lack the means to realistically succeed. It also unfairly prejudices American professors against all Chinese students, even those who did not cheat the system and earned their seats honourably. Stories like those of Professor Weber’s at the University of Maryland reinforce the worst stereotypes of both countries. Chinese who are furious with his words must confront the reality that there is a real problem with Chinese students cheating. Forget SATs, Chinese students need new application strategy for US At the same time, US universities must look past the financial incentives Chinese students offer and find better mechanisms to accurately assess applicants and address academic dishonesty. Students should also be better informed of the academic integrity standards which American colleges expect. In an interview, Weber defended his controversial remarks and put it down to cultural differences, saying that “there is no question there is a different rule-following and rule-breaking culture between the US and China”. A better mutual understanding of these and other cultural differences could go a long way to improving relations between the US and China, whether it is between university professors and their students or government officials. Chi Wang, a former head of the Chinese section of the US Library of Congress, is president of the US-China Policy Foundation