China’s Communist Party school told to ensure loyalty after outspoken academic purged

Department heads and senior officials ordered to carry out ‘meticulous work’ to keep staff, and especially former staff, toeing the party line

Meeting was held the same day the school said retired professor Cai Xia had been expelled from the party over speeches with ‘serious political problems’

Reading Time:3 minutes

The academy said Cai Xia was expelled from the party and lost her pension because of speeches “that damaged the reputation of the country”. Photo: Handout

Published: 9:00pm, 20 Aug 2020Updated: 3:32pm, 21 Aug 2020

Management of the Communist Party’s top academy has been told to take action to ensure staff – and former staff – remain loyal and to step up scrutiny of employees’ overseas travel, after the party expelled an outspoken retired professor.

He Yiting, executive vice-president of the elite Central Party School, told 60 department heads and senior officials on Monday to carry out “meticulous work” to keep retirees loyal in particular, according to a statement on the school website on Thursday.

The meeting was held the same day the school announced that former professor Cai Xia had been expelled from the party and lost her pension because of speeches “that damaged the reputation of the country” and had “serious political problems”.

School president Chen Xi, who is also the minister of the party’s organisation department, did not attend the meeting.

According to the statement, his deputy instructed managers that “work should be done with the prime targets [former staff] identified” – the “work” being a party euphemism usually referring to efforts to persuade someone to toe the official line.

Chen Xi heads the Central Party School, where officials are trained. Photo: Handout