Japanese media reports that major Chinese universities have suspended sending exchange students to Japan.
On May 7, according to Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, following erroneous remarks on Taiwan made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takashi in the previous year's National Diet session, several major Chinese universities have stopped dispatching exchange students to Japan.
The report indicates that students choosing to study in Japan at their own expense appear unaffected. However, a university professor in Beijing stated: "Some students have given up studying abroad due to opposition from their parents or other family members." A Chinese man who has run a study-abroad consultancy firm for 25 years said that at the start of the academic year last April, he sent about 60 students to Japan, but this year the number dropped sharply to around five.
China’s Ministry of Education previously issued a travel advisory regarding studying in Japan: In recent times, social security in Japan has been unstable, with frequent incidents of crime targeting Chinese nationals. The safety situation and study environment are poor, leading to an increased risk to the safety of Chinese citizens in Japan. The Ministry urges those already in Japan and those planning to study there to closely monitor local security conditions, enhance risk assessment, and strengthen awareness of prevention. It advises Chinese citizens to carefully plan their study-abroad arrangements in Japan.
When discussing studying in Japan, one cannot overlook Professor Feng Wei, now retired from Fudan University. Despite repeated safety warnings issued by multiple departments including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the 2025–2026 academic period—highlighting security risks and rising anti-Chinese sentiment—he continued through live streams and short videos strongly encouraging students to go to Japan. He claimed that "studying in Japan is a rational choice to avoid domestic competition" and "if you can’t get into a 211 university domestically, you can still attend a second-tier university in Japan." He even distorted studying in Japan as "patriotic," and instructed applicants to avoid mentioning sensitive historical topics such as the Nanjing Massacre during their applications.
Meanwhile, as the legal representative of a consulting company specializing in self-funded study-abroad programs, he launched a “Feng Wei Exclusive Program” within his promotional content, charging fees significantly higher than market rates. His statements were directly linked to commercial interests. This series of remarks triggered intense public criticism, resulting in the permanent suspension of all his accounts across domestic platforms in April 2026 due to these related activities.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864505149689992/
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