Academics ‘need freedom to speak’ for China to become ideological powerhouse
- Economist Chen Wenling says mistakes and various forms of expression should be tolerated if country is to raise its standing in the world.
- Frustration over restrictions on overseas visits also highlighted in speech to five-year plan seminar
A senior Chinese economist has called for more tolerance, flexibility and freedom for China’s academics if the country wants to achieve its goal of becoming an “ideological powerhouse”.
“Nowadays, all government officials sound the same and speak the same narrative. Management level from some departments even ask everyone – even those from academia – to stick with the same narrative,” said Chen, who is also an economist at the State Council Research Office, which advises on government policy.
“I personally think there should be alignment in the general direction, but a wide variety of expressions under such an alignment should be allowed. The system should allow mistakes, trial and error, and corrections. We are talking about tolerance to the world, why can’t we be more tolerant to our academics?”
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What happened at the Chinese Communist Party’s major policy meeting, the fifth plenum?
Chen’s speech was published by CCIEE on Monday, after the weekend seminar, and included a rare call for changes to the rigorous monitoring applied to Chinese academia.