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New: A student resolution expressing support for the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement was voted down at the University of Warwick in England, after opposition from Chinese international students. https://www.axios.com/hong-kong-british-university-chinese-student-opposition-72ad086b-ee61-4dda-9a46-529dc48c258b.html
The resolution condemned "abhorrent human rights abuses of the Hong Kong Police Force and the Hong Kong SAR Government."
"I ask all students from the University of Warwick to stand with Hong Kong," said one student. "Today we are trying to speak out against the Chinese govt."
"I ask all students from the University of Warwick to stand with Hong Kong," said one student. "Today we are trying to speak out against the Chinese govt."
The resolution failed.
But here's where it gets interesting. Here come some numbers:
But here's where it gets interesting. Here come some numbers:
Warwick has about 27,000 students.
Of those, 3,200 are Chinese international students.
There were 11 "all student vote" resolutions in the 2019-2020 academic year.
All of them, except the HK one, averaged a voter turnout of around 1,000 students.
Of those, 3,200 are Chinese international students.
There were 11 "all student vote" resolutions in the 2019-2020 academic year.
All of them, except the HK one, averaged a voter turnout of around 1,000 students.
The HK resolution had 3,000 votes. That's triple the average. In fact, the university noted on its website that it set a new record for voter participation.
So there were around 2,000 students who participated in the Hong Kong vote who don't usually participate in all student votes.
What was the final tally for the HK resolution?
2,041 against.
971 for.
https://www.warwicksu.com/student-voice/make-your-mark/all-student-vote/results/
What was the final tally for the HK resolution?
2,041 against.
971 for.
https://www.warwicksu.com/student-voice/make-your-mark/all-student-vote/results/
I don't need to say it. I'll let a Chinese international student say it for me.
"If you ask the students to vote tomorrow, because the number of Chinese students in this university is very large, I guess they will vote against it," said a Chinese student at Warwick.
"If you ask the students to vote tomorrow, because the number of Chinese students in this university is very large, I guess they will vote against it," said a Chinese student at Warwick.
The Warwick CSSA (Chinese Students and Scholars Association), which is technically speaking not an official university organization at Warwick, has a close relationship with the Chinese consulate -- as most CSSAs around the world do.
There IS an official Chinese student organization on campus, which is called Warwick Chinese Society, or ChiSoc for short (their own chosen abbreviation).
According to ChiSoc's website, they explicitly deny that they are controlled by any govt agency.
https://www.warwickchinese.com/declaration.html
According to ChiSoc's website, they explicitly deny that they are controlled by any govt agency.
https://www.warwickchinese.com/declaration.html
The Warwick CSSA, by contrast, frequently mentions the Chinese consulate on their website, including two separate shipments they received from the consulate in March & April of 80,000 medical masks, traditional Chinese medicine, and 100s of thermometers.
http://cssawarwick.org.uk/
http://cssawarwick.org.uk/
(To be clear, there is nothing nefarious about these shipments; I mention them just to provide examples of my previous statement about the CSSA having a close relationship with the Chinese consulate).
