World · 2026-10-20 · Morning briefing

Moscow State University expels Chinese student over Japanese flag stunt

Moscow State University expelled a Chinese student and ordered him to leave Russia after he draped himself in the Japanese rising sun flag during a classroom session, the state-run Global Times reported. The university acted after two of China's most powerful institutions weighed in publicly: the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily and the People's Liberation Army both criticised the student, with the PLA saying his gesture glorified Japanese militarism.

The account of the expulsion came solely through Chinese state media, with no public statement from the Moscow university. The episode illustrates how a student's action in a foreign classroom can rapidly escalate from a university disciplinary issue to a matter of national symbolism once China's state-run press and military decide to intervene.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

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• Student sent back to China over Japanese rising sun flag incident in Russia
• Chinese student repatriated after his display of Japanese militarist flag at Moscow State University sparked outrage
• Russian university probes Chinese student's display of 'rising sun' flag
• Pentagon Blacklists Fudan, Moscow State Among 130 Schools Banned From US Research

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