Law textbook pulled from shelves in China amid campaign against ‘Western influence’

Author Zhang Qianfan rejects suggestion his writing excessively promotes Western ideas as ‘utter nonsense’

Authorities have not confirmed they ordered the title to be withdrawn but it comes after government launched sweeping review of teaching materials

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A man reads a book below political slogans reading “rule of law” and “harmony” in central Beijing. The education ministry has launched a review of all university constitutional law textbooks. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:40pm, 1 Feb 2019Updated: 8:24am, 2 Feb 2019

A constitutional law textbook written by one China’s best-known reform-minded legal scholars has been pulled from bookshops, apparently the latest text to run afoul of a government campaign against “Western influence”.

The author, Zhang Qianfan, a professor at Peking University known for his advocacy of constitutionalism and judicial reform, dismissed any suggestion his writing excessively promoted Western ideas as “utter nonsense”, and said the academic world should not be politicised.

Since taking office in 2012, President Xi Jinping has tightened the Communist Party’s control over society including the legal system and education.

While authorities have not confirmed they ordered the book withdrawn, and no reason for its disappearance has been given, it comes after the government began a sweeping review of teaching materials.

Author Zhang Qianfan, a Peking University professor, said “constitutional law, as an academic discipline, should not be politicised”. Photo: Reuters

The Ministry of Education in early January launched a nationwide check on the content of all university constitutional law textbooks, according to posts on the Jiangxi and Zhejiang province education ministry websites.