"NewYear'sEverevellers clashedwithpoliceand overturnedapatrolcar"

One may think that the fireworks ban is already bad enough, but the crypto ban was also implemented. It was first added in September 2021 when the Chinese government declared all crypto activities illegal, claiming that crypto disrupted the country’s economic and financial order while providing a breeding ground for criminal activity But even with this ban, China remains in the top 10 countries with the highest crypto adoption, and it is still increasing exponentially over time This is the reason why, an economics professor and former adviser to the People’s Bank of China Dr. MA Jun has urged the Chinese government to reconsider its ban on cryptocurrencies. He warned that banning crypto activities could result in missed opportunities that are “very valuable” to regulated financial systems Despite half a dozen bans on crypto-related activities, the government has never forbidden one thing, to actually own cryptos, with the main goal of the government always has been to remain in control while remaining open to new, promising technologies This means it is not completely banned and cryptocurrency is legally protected in China while being the country with the largest economy and the strictest crypto regulation.

And the cherry on top, China also banned online studies on the 28th of January 2023. China has suddenly reversed its temporary rules that have been in place for over two years during the COVID19 pandemic allowing online courses from foreign universities to be delivered to students within China. This is being justified in China as a crackdown on substandard online degree courses. The concession to foreign universities to allow them to maintain their enrolment of Chinese students during travel bans and lockdowns was seen as no longer necessary as travel returns to normal in the region, mostly because China has abandoned its strict ‘Zero-COVID’ policy. The ending of the overseas degrees policy, which has come without warning, led to a scramble for visas and flights to major destinations for Chinese students, with Australia and New Zealand being affected by this. With the exception of courses in Ukraine and Russia, which are engaged in a war, Chinese students are told that degrees obtained online from courses overseas are no longer recognised, which urges students to return to overseas campuses as soon as possible While it may sound like another bad decision on the government’s part, as many Chinese students must return to mainland China to continue their studies, this ban does have positive results. For instance, it encourages students to return to their respective countries for education and have access to better studies in class.

Chenxing Sang, the secretary general of Beijing Overseas Study Service Association (BOSSA), which is an association that recruits students all over China to study In Universities abroad, said: “I believe that studying abroad is more than just learning knowledge; it is also about experiencing different cultures, communicating with different people, and broadening one’s mind, which cannot be done online.”

The timing of the sudden decision to stop online courses and the call for students to travel back to their overseas universities is seen as being linked to the beginning of the academic year in Australia and New Zealand, but they still welcomed the change as it also benefited their countries An example of this would be Australia; they are expecting around 40,000 Chinese students to arrive, and while it was sudden news, especially as the ban was announced before school started in Australia, it could put an end to online school where thousands of students must attend online classes from the Zero-Covid Policy. Thousands of students in Australia are also travelling back to the mainland, meaning that they must get their visas, and this year there was an increase of 72.7% in finalising offshore student visa applications. There are an unfortunate few that could not get a visa in time, or could not find a flight or accommodation, but China’s education ministry released a statement, clarifying that they could seek an exemption from the rule if they were not able to return to the universities when getting their degree certified Also, Students who had already selected online study for the coming semester and were unable to switch to face-to-face study were eligible to seek a waiver.

The heavy implementation of rules and regulations to maintain a balance between the people may come with flaws and could discontent the people that are affected by this However, China constantly seeks improvement which may create a better environment for the government and the citizens, and though perfection does not exist in our world, improvements are always possible