Direct Translations
Rebellion! Photo of Chinese school displaying "independence" slogan go viral online
—Chinese school posts "Taiwan Independence" photo
Reporter : Wang Duruo / Editor : Fang Xun / https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0513/2383242.html / Image : A prestigious school in Guangdong posted a university ranking list, and a student apparently changed "Taiwan" to "Taiwan Independence" (highlighted in red). (Image from X: Teacher Li is not your teacher)
Recently, a prestigious school in Dongguan, Guangdong, known for its high college entrance examination pass rates, has sparked heated discussion online after a photo of a university ranking list posted on campus went viral.
In the evening of 10 May 2026, Li Ying, a Chinese writer residing in Italy, shared the photo on the social media platform "Li Laoshi Bu Shi Ni Laoshi" (Li Teacher is Not Your Teacher). The photo showed that the international department of Guangzheng Experimental Middle School in Chashan Town, Dongguan, Guangdong Province, had recently posted a university ranking list. However, it was discovered that the word "Taiwan" on the list had been crossed out with a large "X," and the word "Independence" had been handwritten behind it, turning it into "Taiwan Independence."
The photo quickly went viral online, with many netizens exclaiming, "They've rebelled!", "The school will probably be completely reformed now!", and "Even students aren't falling for the Communist Party's brainwashing propaganda anymore."
Some netizens joked, "When will Taiwan reunify with the mainland?", "Are the international department students going this far?", and "Even the locals in Dongguan are stunned."
Others commented, "This is just stating a fact," and "It should say Republic of China, Taiwan."
The incident is particularly sensitive because it occurred on a campus where the CCP places great emphasis on ideological control, and it took place at a prestigious school in Guangdong.
This phenomenon reflects a growing rebellious attitude among some young people under the CCP's long-term high-pressure political propaganda. This is especially true for international students who are exposed to overseas information, making the gap between their views and the official narrative increasingly apparent.
Wuhan: The First Shot of China's Second Cultural Revolution?
—"A Second Cultural Revolution": Several universities in Wuhan investigate students using VPNs
Editor : Fang Xun / Source : RFA / https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0513/2383194.html
Several universities in Wuhan have recently investigated students' use of VPNs, requiring them to explain their purpose and providing cybersecurity and ideological education to some students. Scholars interviewed stated that Chinese universities are gradually shifting the focus of "VPN use" from internet management to ideology and national security.
On Tuesday (12 May 2026), several screenshots of internal notices from Wuhan universities circulated on overseas social media. The notices showed that some university counselors were collecting data on students' VPN use, inquiring about their reasons for using VPNs, and requiring students to sign written guarantees. One notice stated that prolonged browsing of overseas websites could pose a "risk of ideological erosion," easily leading to "misleading influence from erroneous values," and even "becoming a middleman for harmful information," thus "posing a threat to national security."
Another screenshot showed that classes were investigating "VPN usage," including the purpose, frequency, and whether students browsed overseas social media.
Scholars: University Management Methods resemble a "Second Cultural Revolution"
In response, Xue Ming, a media professional from Hubei, told this station that he believes the social atmosphere in China in recent years is increasingly resembling the Cultural Revolution period, only the form has changed.
He said, "I call this current state a 'second Cultural Revolution,' which has lasted for about seven or eight years, starting around 2018. Back then, there wasn't such an emphasis on censorship, reporting, or catching spies. Now, many things revolve around so-called 'security.'"
Xue Ming believes that the authorities' continuous strengthening of ideological and social control is related to the regime's need to maintain stability.
He said, "This regime needs to maintain itself through lies, so it needs to be closed off. Now China is increasingly like a local area network; a lot of information is blocked, and everything must give way to so-called security—actually, the security of the authoritarian regime itself."
Students say the school's police station has intervened in investigating students using VPNs
A student surnamed Li from Wuhan Zhongnan University of Economics and Law told reporters that in recent weeks, students' counselors have started investigating VPN usage in class groups. He said, "The school knew before that everyone used VPNs, but basically didn't care much; VPN use was the responsibility of the police. This time, it's the school's police station."
Image : Several universities in Wuhan have recently investigated students' VPN usage, requiring them to explain their purpose for using VPNs, and providing cybersecurity and ideological education to some students. (X platform account "Teacher Li is not your teacher")
Li, a student, also said that some students were asked to explain their purpose for using VPNs, and some were even required to sign a guarantee "not to use related software again": "Many people use VPNs mainly to look up information, read papers, and use AI tools. Now, students are worried about being punished. Many say they won't use VPNs, but they still do it secretly."
Jia Lingmin, a former middle school teacher in Zhengzhou, said in an interview that previously, students using VPNs was the responsibility of the Public Security Bureau, but now school management is directly involved, elevating the issue to a national security and political level. She said, "Previously, it was the Public Security Bureau that intervened; it was never the school that intervened as an institution. This means it's not just universities in Wuhan; other places will do it too. This is just the beginning."
She believes that the authorities' move is primarily to prevent students from seeing the truth. "First, they don't want students to see the truth about China from abroad; second, the content of domestic news broadcasts is selective and even misleading."
Multiple regions continue to strengthen the crackdown on VPN circumvention
According to local public security reports and public information, recently some netizens have been warned or fined by public security organs for using VPNs to browse overseas websites such as X and TikTok.
On 11 March 2026, two separate incidents of individuals being punished for using VPNs to bypass internet censorship were reported in Hubei Province. In Ezhou City, a man was fined 200 yuan by the Liangzihu District Public Security Bureau for using VPN software to access TikTok and Twitter. On the same day in Xiaogan City, the Xinhua Police Station of the Xiaonan District Public Security Bureau dispatched more than ten officers to investigate and punish a netizen who used a VPN to access overseas websites, fining him 500 yuan. On March 27, police in Tianmen City, Hubei Province, reported that a woman was investigated and punished by public security authorities for downloading the "Kuailian VPN" app and accessing overseas platforms such as Telegram and Potato by modifying her IP address.
In April of this year, this station reported that companies in Jiangsu, Shaanxi, and other places received notices on special cybersecurity governance, requiring them to register their VPNs and investigate "illegal cross-border access" activities. Some regions require service providers to directly disconnect internet access upon discovering illegal cross-border connections.
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