A Taiwanese graduate student at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine says rumors circulate on campus about “professional students,” people who allegedly pose as students to monitor and report on others. Liu Minghao, a pseudonym, told Radio Free Asia he cannot identify who they are, but teachers have privately warned Taiwanese students to be careful in class and avoid sensitive topics.
Liu said political and public issues are restricted in class discussions, and some controversial social events rarely make it into teaching. He said the suspected informants look like ordinary students who attend class, eat in the canteen and join outdoor activities. Classmates in Shanghai and Hangzhou told him cameras have been installed in their classrooms. A friend studying media in Beijing was disappointed to find that many contentious issues could not be discussed even in journalism classes. Liu contrasted this with Taiwan, where students can freely criticize government officials.
A Shanghai-based man surnamed Peng, who has a legal background, said he had not heard of such students but considered it plausible, noting that young people have historically initiated major protests. Activist Lu Jun said that, whatever the truth of the rumors, surveillance is pervasive, citing big data, street cameras and nationalist students, and argued that the climate leaves people afraid to speak honestly.
Liu said mainland students are not incapable of independent thinking but rarely discuss politics, which he attributed to an education system that discourages dissent. Most of those who follow current affairs study journalism or media.
He added that campus life centers on grades and internships. Some students aim from the start for postgraduate recommendation, while others begin interning off campus in their second year and attend class only for exams and presentations. Clubs carry little weight with employers compared with internship experience.
Citing China’s economic slowdown, Liu said postgraduate degrees are less attractive and jobs are hard to find. He may try working on the mainland first but expects to return to Taiwan long term.
Source: Radio Free Asia, October 13, 2026
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shehui/2026/10/13/china-nanjing-university-taiwan-students-professional-students/