Chinese students returning home to escape the outbreak of the newly created Corona virus abroad face a lukewarm reception from the public in the country, which they consider to be a spoiled and wealthy segment of society that may be transmitting the epidemic of Covid-19.
Beijing has greatly reduced the number of international flights and banned foreigners from entering the country. The total number of expatriates is almost Chinese, including many students.
But this return creates confusion in society, while activists on social media circulate messages describing these students as ungrateful and dangerous, using the irresponsible behavior of a small number of them as evidence of this.
According to Beijing, about half of the new cases of Coronavirus coming from abroad are Chinese students who have returned to their country.
In China, students who are educated abroad are often viewed as arrogant, wealthy, or even hold the nationalities of other countries, says Yikshan Chen, a professor at Shi Jiaoting University - Liverpool.
According to the Ministry of Education, the majority of the 1.6 million Chinese students abroad are still in these countries.
There are many among them who want to return, but the obstacles in front of them are great. The prices of travel cards are very high and the journey is long with several stops, in addition to the risks of being injured on the way back. But these students also have sympathy from many of their citizens, because when the epidemic began to spread, a number of them sent protective masks and other equipment to their country from abroad.
- Return creates confusion in the community, while activists circulate messages describing them as ungrateful.