Today’s Focus: Soaring College Tuition Fees Leave Chinese Students with Bleak Job Prospects; Spy Cases Reveal Extensive CCP Infiltration from European Parliament to Activist Groups; New US Regulation Requires Some Travelers to Pay Visa Bonds.
This year’s college enrollment season in China seems unusually quiet. While admission notices have been issued by universities, many students are choosing to refuse them and even give up on attending college. What’s going on with this trend? Let’s take a closer look:
Recently, social media in China has been focused on the enrollment situation of various higher education institutions. With skyrocketing college tuition fees and diminishing value of degrees, many parents and students are contemplating whether to accept admission notices from schools.
Due to fewer registration numbers this year, only 13.35 million students took the college entrance exam. Coupled with a large number of students refusing to report for enrollment, there is a significant gap between admissions and actual enrollment in universities across the country. In Guangdong alone, there is a gap of over 25,000 students in history and science majors.
According to education-oriented data sharing, undergraduate enrollment for 2025 in Guangdong Province has been completed. However, universities like Zhanjiang University of Science and Technology, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong University of Business Studies, and Guangzhou Huali College have hundreds to thousands of vacancies each.
It’s worth noting that Shandong is a province with a strong focus on education. In Shandong, the competition for the college entrance exam is exceptionally fierce. However, according to the “2025 Regular Admission Batch II Surplus Undergraduate Plan” released by Shandong Province on July 22, 126 universities in Shandong have left 6,050 vacancies in their undergraduate programs, including several public undergraduate programs.
Many believe that the refusal of admission notices by so many families is related to the steep increase in college tuition fees.
Reportedly, in the summer of 2025, the iconic “5,000 yuan era” for universities in China has come to an end, officially entering the “ten thousand yuan era.” Private colleges have hiked their fees even more, with schools like Shanghai Xingwei School charging as much as 149,000 yuan per year; Shanghai Overseas Chinese Art College charging 43,000 yuan per year; and Nanjing College of Media charging nearly 50,000 yuan for broadcasting major.
The content creator “Wisdom Child-Rearing” on Xiaohongshu noted that dozens of colleges collectively raised tuition fees, with annual fees soaring up to 105,000 yuan, totaling 420,000 yuan for a four-year program without considering accommodation and living expenses. The fee hikes for some Sino-foreign cooperative programs are even more astonishing, with last year’s 30,000 yuan program increased to 45,000 yuan this year and possibly approaching 60,000 yuan next year. She bluntly stated, “This is not just about going to college anymore, it’s basically competing with your parents’ wealth.”
Moreover, it’s not just about money, but also about the prospects after graduation. Official data shows that only about a quarter of college graduates can find jobs related to their major, with many facing unemployment upon graduation, even resorting to selling goods on the streets or working as food delivery services in their hometowns. This has led more and more parents and students to question, “Is going to college really worth it?”
A self-media blogger named “Keke” in Henan remarked, “This is clearly just taking advantage of the students. If you ask them [universities] what kind of jobs their children can find four years later and how much they can make, they start evading the question. This, well, depends on the market conditions, and this, well, depends on the individual’s efforts.”
One netizen calculated that over four years, tuition and living expenses would amount to over 300,000 yuan. If a job with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan is found after graduation, even without spending on essentials, it would take over eight years to earn that back. By then, one would be in their 30s and facing the dismissal checkpoint at 35, making it hard to understand the meaning of attending university.
Furthermore, this wave of “refusing admission trend” not only impacts regular students but also the “study genius” population. Many high-scoring students are no longer fixated on prestigious schools like Tsinghua and Peking University but are opting for more practical paths.
For instance, Chongqing student Wan Xinyu participated in Beijing University’s Strong Foundation Plan and was likely to qualify. However, after receiving a call from the president of West Lake University, Shi Yigong, Wan Xinyu directly changed his college entrance examination preferences and applied to West Lake University.
Similarly, Anhui’s top student in the college entrance exam gave up the acceptance notices from Tsinghua and Peking University to attend the University of Hong Kong. Another female top student from Henan rejected offers from Tsinghua and Peking University, opting to join a military academy for free room and board plus living stipends, with direct job placement upon graduation.
The host “Gongzi Xin” in her program mentioned, “In the past, parents would go to great lengths to send their children to college, nearly draining an average family’s savings to send one child to university, only to face a job paying 3,000 yuan a month and the mockery that degrees are worthless.” She said, “When degrees become luxury goods, education turns into a game of competing with parents.”
Regarding students rejecting admission notices, “Gongzi Xin” stated that it’s not shortsightedness among the youth, but rather their understanding of the essence of the matter.
Mr. Jian, a lawyer in China interviewed by Epoch Times, mentioned that the phenomenon of dropping out of school not only reflects an education issue but also reflects the economic difficulties in China. Nowadays, graduating into unemployment has become the norm, coupled with high university fees that economically struggling families cannot afford. In addition, some ordinary colleges and private institutions have “terrible quality”, with students unable to learn practical knowledge and even being “corrupted”. Faced with various pressures such as economic downturns, scarce job opportunities, and low educational quality, parents and students choosing not to pursue schooling reflect a form of “helpless awakening.”
On August 5th, the Dresden Higher Regional Court in Germany publicly tried a Chinese espionage case, causing widespread attention in Germany and across Europe.
The main figure in this case is a Chinese man named Guo Jian, who was arrested in April last year.
Germany accused Guo Jian of working for the Chinese intelligence agency since 2002. He posed as a pro-democracy activist, infiltrated democratic circles, successfully gained entry into the German party “Die Wahl Party,” and the internal operations of the European Parliament, illicitly obtaining significant political intelligence and passing it to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Guo Jian’s co-defendant is a Chinese woman named Jaqi X, who was arrested in September last year. Germany alleged that Jaqi X, through her job at a logistics company in Leipzig/Halle Airport, provided Guo Jian with information concerning flights, cargo, passengers, particularly related to weapons transportation and data on personnel linked to German defense companies.
According to the German Federal Prosecutor, Guo Jian is suspected of engaging in espionage activities for the CCP, with the case considered “particularly serious”. Currently, the Dresden Court has held 14 trial sessions and is expected to continue until September 30.
Originally entering Germany as a student, Guo Jian later acquired German citizenship. In 2019, he became an assistant to the German MEP Claudia Krahé. Krahé held a significant position in “Die Wahl Party” and had served in important roles involving human rights, security, defense, and other sensitive matters in the European Parliament.
During his work with Krahé, Guo Jian abused his position to steal over 500 internal documents from the European Union and German political parties, many of which were considered “highly sensitive,” touching on core European policy contents. Moreover, he passed information about Die Wahl Party leaders Wei Del and Krupara to CCP intelligence units.
Not only did Guo Jian penetrate political circles, but he also pretended to be a “dissident” of the CCP, infiltrated Chinese dissident groups in Germany, collected personal information on dissidents, and sent them back to Beijing.
As early as September last year, Guo Jian was “exposed” by German media, indicating that over the years he had been active in the Chinese democratic circles in Germany, serving as a board member of German Minzhen, and even hosting multiple democratic conferences to obtain personal information of attendees and meeting details. He also approached Tibetan organizations and, in 2018, led a group to India for an audience with the Dalai Lama.
What’s more intriguing is Guo Jian took Krahé on visits to China. In 2019, Krahé flew with him to Beijing, flying business class and staying at upscale hotels, with all expenses paid by Huawei, Sinopec, and others.
During the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2021, Guo Jian provided opportunities for German Alternative for Germany (AfD) activists, affording them special relaxation of epidemic restrictions.
It is noteworthy that Krahé has a good relationship with the CCP; on the 72nd anniversary of the CCP’s founding, Krahé not only expressed greetings, but also participated in activities organized by official CCP institutions, and voted against European Parliament resolutions regarding the use of Uyghur forced labor by the CCP.
According to German intelligence agencies, they had been monitoring Guo Jian since 2007 when he attempted to proactively engage with the German Federal Intelligence Service, offering himself as a “source.” Subsequently, the Saxony Constitutional Protection Bureau categorised him as a subject of observation and began suspecting him of engaging in espionage activities for the CCP from 2015.
In fact, this is not the first time that the CCP’s espionage activities in Europe have been exposed. In recent years, CCP espionage activities have become more rampant, with multiple countries like the US, UK, Belgium reporting similar cases.
In September 2024, former New York Deputy Chief of Staff Sun Wen was charged with engaging in espionage activities for the CCP. She used her position to prevent discussions on Taiwan and Xinjiang human rights issues, falsified governor’s invitations to assist CCP officials in illegal entry into the US.
In April 2024, three German citizens were arrested for allegedly collecting military technology information for the CCP’s Ministry of State Security involving ship engines, sonar systems, and drone technology.
In October 2024, a Chinese woman was arrested for spying on German defense industry facilities. It is said that her contact person was Guo Jian.
In December 2024, a Chinese man was investigated for filming naval bases on the Baltic Sea coast of Germany.
In April 2024, a British Parliamentary Research Assistant was charged with providing legal information to the CCP.
In December 2023, Belgian MP Frank Creyelman was exposed for long-term work for the CCP’s Ministry of State Security, attempting to influence Western decisions regarding aid to the Ukrainian military.
Commentators point out that these cases illustrate the CCP’s systematic and long-term espionage operations globally, especially in the political systems and economic sectors of Western countries, where the CCP’s infiltration has become increasingly deeper.
The CCP’s infiltration methods have long been uncovered by experts, with the 2020 publication of the book “Silent Conquest: How China (Communist) Infiltrates Western Democracy and Reshapes the World Order,” pointing out that the CCP seeks to monitor the political decisions of Western countries and suppress dissidents through systematic infiltration.
According to the latest information released by the US State Department, starting from August 20, 2025, the US will initiate a pilot project called “Visa Bond”. This policy targets travelers from countries with high rates of visa overstays, requiring them to pay a certain amount of bond when applying for a visa, with the maximum amount being $15,000. The program is expected to last for a year until August 5, 2026.
The plan mainly applies to B-1 or B-2 visas, for individuals entering the US for tourism or business purposes.
If travelers come from countries with a high rate of visa overstays or have insufficient background information, they may be included in this list.
The initial countries included in the pilot are Malawi and Zambia. Therefore, travelers from Malawi and Zambia may be required to pay a bond when applying for a visa.
Depending on individual circumstances, the bond amount can range from $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, decided by consular officers during visa interviews. They take into consideration the traveler’s purpose of travel, income, occupational background, etc.
It’s important to note that even if the bond is paid, it does not guarantee a visa approval.
The payment of the bond is just one of the conditions for issuing a visa. If the consular officer deems the applicant does not meet the visa requirements, the visa will be denied even if the bond has been paid. In this case, the bond will be refunded.
After leaving the US on time, the bond will also be returned accordingly.
Moreover, individuals who pay the bond can only enter and exit the US at designated airports, such as Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), New York Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).
The US government stated that the reason for launching this pilot project is to test the viability of such a bond system and to remind some countries to strengthen scrutiny and management of travelers, reducing the number of their citizens who overstay in the US.
You may wonder if there are exemptions from paying the bond?
Yes, there are. In exceptional circumstances, such as US government employees or in humanitarian emergencies, consular officers can apply for a waiver of the bond requirement to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State responsible for visa affairs. However, such situations are extremely limited and handled on a case-by-case basis.
According to data released by the US Department of Homeland Security in August 2024, apart from Malawi and Zambia, countries with high rates of overstays in 2023 included Chad at 50%; Laos at 35%; and Haiti at 31%.
Based on the number of overstays, the countries with the most overstayers were Mexico with 49,000; Colombia with 41,000; Haiti with 27,000; Venezuela with 22,000; Brazil with 21,000; and the Dominican Republic with 20,000.
According to data from the US Congress, although only approximately 1-2% of visitors overstay annually, this small fraction poses a significant problem for immigration management. The US government estimates there are 11 million illegal residents in the US, with about forty percent of those illegal residents having entered legally but failed to depart on time.
Lastly, it’s essential to remind everyone that if you are required to pay the bond, be sure to do so through official channels designated by the US government, such as the website operated by the US Department of Treasury: www.Pay.Gov, and fill out Form I-352 (Immigrant Bond Table). Be cautious not to fall victim to third-party intermediaries or fake websites that may fraudulently take your money.
That’s all about the US Visa Bond. If you or your friends have future plans to travel to the United States, it’s recommended to closely monitor visa regulations to avoid misunderstandings or falling into traps.
– Production team of “Jiayin Moment”