Chinese university faces backlash after notice mandating students to donate blood but school denies, saying rule targets party members
- School counsellor says candidates applying to join communist party might not be considered if did not participate in drive
- University staff member denies blood drive was compulsory
A university in China sparked public backlash after allegedly mandating student blood donations, calling them “non-negotiable political tasks”, and linking participation to rewards, recognition, and party membership.
A whistleblower shared screenshots on December 12 from a counsellor from Harbin Finance University in northern China’s Heilongjiang province in which she repeatedly urged students to donate blood and decried their low participation.
In the messages, the woman explicitly said that students who were members of the communist party or filled class leadership roles would lose their eligibility for various recognitions and awards. She even threatened that party members could lose their membership.
One message said: “Donating blood is a political task. Each class must have at least five donors, including class leaders and party branch secretaries. If that is insufficient to meet our goals, then students who want to work towards party membership should participate.”
Moreover, the counsellor insisted that each class submit a list of who donated, and class leaders who could not give blood were required to provide a valid excuse.
“If class leaders do not lead by example and donate blood, they will be immediately removed from their positions,” she warned.
The spread of these messages immediately caused a stir online. Many online viewers acknowledged that, while donating blood is commendable, it should be voluntary and not coerced as a political obligation.
Responding to the public backlash, a university staff member told the media platform Xin Huang He that the blood donation was intended to be voluntary and that non-participation would not impact student evaluations or awards.
“We are simply encouraging students to donate blood, but it’s not compulsory. It is voluntary. We want our party members and class leaders to play a pioneering and exemplary role in the blood drive,” the staff member said.
However, this explanation from the university was met with scepticism, especially because the school had set a blood drive quota.
One person asked: “How can the drive be voluntary with a set quota? How can the school explain that?”
Another said: “They say donating blood is not compulsory, but there are countless ways to make a student ‘volunteer’.”
