Tian Fangmeng believes that affirmative action for poorer students and the widespread provision of scholarships for overseas students will bring down the standards of top universities in China. Alternative methods can be found to aid students from poorer Chinese regions or raise the international rankings of top universities without compromising the integrity of university admissions.

As the PRC celebrates its 70th anniversary, and amid the China-US trade war, Prof Tian Fangmeng remembers two Americans who left their marks on China in the first half of the 20th century. One became the face of American imperialism and the enemy of communism, while the other became a familiar face in the Chinese government’s official propaganda. But are they so different?

The current political spectrum in China, explained in one diagram - scroll down for more.