On January 19, 2015, the CCP CC issued an official decree -- also called a “red letterhead document” -- entitled “Suggestions on further strengthening and improving ideological propaganda among tertiary institutions under new circumstances”. The document stressed that: (i) the essence of Xi Jinping’s instructions must be carried out thoroughly under the guiding principles of the Marxist, Leninist and Maoist doctrines, so as to demonstrate the party’s absolute faith in its General Secretary; (ii) ideological propaganda in universities must be reinforced under such basic guidelines as “Not afraid to draw the sword, and take the responsibility of guarding our soil”; “Arm the hearts and minds of teachers and students, and make sure universities are run along socialist lines” and “Turn our universities into a stronghold for learning Marxism”; and (iii) the Party must establish among university teachers and students the “Three Confidences” (confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics, confidence in theories and confidence in the system) and “Three Identities” (theoretical identity, political identity and emotional identity).
After release of the document, Yuan Guiren, Minister of Education, suggested the “Two Reinforcements” during a speech on January 29, 2015. These were to “Reinforce the management of ideology in universities” and “Reinforce the management of the use of western teaching materials”. He emphasized that teaching materials that advocate western values must not be allowed in university lectures, nor should slanders and smears against Party leaders and socialism be tolerated on the campus. Yuan Guiren later wrote an article which was published in the China Education Post warning that young teachers and students are particularly susceptible to infiltration by hostile forces and that the Party must stay vigilant against “ideological risks”.
(Comment: Earlier Chinese President Xi Jinping had instructed the Party to “strengthen its control over ideology and firmly secure its leadership in grasping ideological control among tertiary institutions”, during a Politburo meeting in December. He had also ordered that it must “stay the course in running universities along socialist lines, as well as reinforce and improve its political and ideological work”. Analysts describe this as the most relentless ideological campaign against the tertiary education sector since the 1990s.)
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