China expels woman from university for ‘damaging national dignity’ over video with Ukrainian national

A university in China has announced plans to expel a student for what it described as “improper contact with a foreigner” and “damaging national dignity,” after videos surfaced online allegedly showing her in an intimate relationship with a Ukrainian video gamer.

The decision by Dalian Polytechnic University, located in northeastern China, has sparked widespread debate across the country. Some commentators supported the expulsion, arguing that Chinese citizens—particularly women—are often overly drawn to foreigners. However, many others condemned the move as sexist and paternalistic, noting that students accused of far more serious offences, such as rape or sexual harassment, have sometimes faced milder consequences.

The university claimed the student’s actions on 16 December had “caused a negative impact.” While it did not share specific details, it said the disciplinary measure was based on a university rule related to “civic morality.”

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That regulation states: “Anyone who engages in improper contact with foreigners and damages national dignity or the school’s reputation shall face disciplinary measures, ranging from a demerit to more severe penalties, depending on the circumstances.”

Critics have also accused the university of publicly shaming the student by posting the expulsion notice on its website last week, which included her full name.

Former Ukrainian professional Counter-Strike player Danylo Teslenko, known as “Zeus,” apologised on Sunday for sharing the intimate videos involving the Chinese student. The videos triggered the university’s move to expel her.

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The controversy has ignited heated discussion online, with people questioning whether the student’s personal relationship should be considered a threat to national dignity, and whether the university violated her right to privacy by publicly identifying her.

Zhao Hong, a law professor at Peking University, strongly criticised both the public backlash and the university’s actions in an opinion piece. “If anyone truly undermined national dignity in this case, it wasn’t the woman whose privacy was violated,” Zhao wrote, “but the online spectators who ruthlessly humiliated an ordinary woman under the guise of justice, and the educational institution clinging to outdated moral codes.”