In early March, a fourth-grade student named Xu from Southeast University in Nanjing was exposed on social media for his cruelty towards cats. The Nanjing police investigated the case but decided to educate Xu and his parents instead of imposing any formal punishment. Despite this, Xu’s online videos of him abusing and killing cats caused widespread condemnation on mainland social media platforms.
After being rejected by Nanjing University, Xu applied to Lanzhou University in northwestern China and was granted a face-to-face interview. However, he declined an interview request from Red Star News, stating that speaking to the media could potentially cause further controversy on the internet. Xu expressed uncertainty about how his responses to the media would be received by the public.
According to university admissions guidelines, applicants’ moral and political qualifications are taken into consideration when determining admission. Failure to meet these criteria may result in denial of admission. The School of Physics did not provide an explanation for Xu’s failure to be admitted but mentioned that they had received numerous complaints about his mistreatment of cats. Viral posts showing the potential physicist torturing and killing cats led to his rejection.
The incidents of cat abuse were taken very seriously by the school official who mentioned that they may have impacted the admission decision. The debate over Xu’s fate continues online, with differing opinions on how his behavior should be addressed. While some individuals believe that Xu’s actions deserve harsh consequences, others argue that his talent should outweigh his transgressions.
