Student Expelled In China Over Sex With Ukrainian, University Says It Hurt 'National Dignity'

Last Updated:July 16, 2025, 21:25 IST

Dalian Polytechnic’s decision to expel a student for her ‘improper contact with a foreigner’ has triggered outrage on Chinese social media.

In this AI-generated conceptual image, a lone student faces expulsion as angry voices rise online in support of her. (IMAGE: IMAGEN 4)

China’s Dalian Polytechnic University came under fire after it announced that it expelled a female student for “improper contact with a foreigner" and “damaging national dignity", according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

The decision came after videos went viral online, which suggested that the female student was intimate with an Ukranian man who was a video gamer.

The university located in northeastern China released a statement to the public where they identified the student by her full name and detailing the reasons for her expulsion. The move has received severe backlash on Chinese social media, the South China Morning Post report said.

A separate report by the New York Times said that many highlighted on Chinese social media that in other cases that involved sexual harassment or assault on campus, perpetrators often faced milder consequences and criticised the university for publicly shaming the student and violating her privacy, labelling it “harsh and discriminatory".

But some appeared to support the university’s decision and accused the woman of “being overly fascinated with foreigners".

“If there is anyone who truly undermined national dignity in this case, it was not the woman whose privacy rights were violated, but the online spectators who frantically humiliated an ordinary woman under the banner of so-called justice and the educational institution that used stale moral commandments," said Zhao Hong, a professor of law at Peking University in Beijing, in an opinion column published on Ifeng.

The university said the student’s actions during the December 16 incident had “caused a negative impact." It did not elaborate but stated the punishment was in line with its regulation on “civic morality."

According to that rule, students who engage in “improper contact with foreigners" and harm “national dignity or the school’s reputation" face disciplinary action — starting with a demerit, depending on the severity.

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...Read More

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...

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Beijing, China

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News world Student Expelled In China Over Sex With Ukrainian, University Says It Hurt 'National Dignity'