97% of netizens reject receiving refugees

An overwhelming majority of Chinese netizens said they are against the idea of China taking refugees from other countries, saying the US, who incited wars and turmoil that caused the issue, should take the leading role and stop being a “quitter.”

In an online poll on China’s Sina Weibo platform that started on Wednesday noon, 97.7 percent of over 8,600 users said they oppose China taking foreign refugees. In a similar week-long poll from last June, 97.3 percent of over 210,000 users voted for the same choice.

The Wednesday poll comes after the official Weibo account of the UN said the same day, which marks World Refugee Day, that the world should unite with sympathy as over 68 million people are forced to flee their homes due to war and persecution.

By the end of 2017, over 25.4 million refugees were forcibly displaced, a record high and 2.9 million more than in 2016, the UN Refugee Agency said Wednesday.

“Why should China clean up the mess of other countries such as the US? Most of the refugees are coming from places threatened by religious extremists and taking them might damage the peace in China,” wrote Weibo user “Qidanxiaobian.”

“China did not implement the family planning policy for decades to make room for refugees,” said Weibo user “Hou Meng’en,” which was liked by hundreds of other users.

Refugees are caused by irresponsible moves from the US and some Western countries, and China should not be “morally hijacked” to play a leading role in taking refugees, Li Yunlong, a professor of international strategic studies at the Party School of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China, told the Global Times.

China has played a positive role in helping develop local economies in war-troubled countries in a more sustainable way, Li stressed.

Online criticism also ridiculed the US’ withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, saying China should not be a “troubleshooter” as the US continues to be a quitter in global affairs.

The US’ withdrawal from the council, as well as the Paris Agreement and Iran nuclear deal, are signs of its unilateralism and hegemony, which will further separate it from the international community, said Li. The withdrawal by the US makes it more urgent for the international community to strengthen their cooperation on human rights and promote healthy development in the endeavor, he added.