Tokyo University Professor Disciplined for Embedding 'June 4 Tiananmen' in Admissions Website Code

Tokyo University has disciplined a professor in his 60s for embedding the phrase "June 4 Tiananmen" into the source code of the university's admissions website. The professor's action, intended to be invisible to casual browsers but detectable by Chinese internet censorship systems, led to the website being blocked within China. Tokyo University stated that the professor's actions could hinder prospective Chinese students from accessing admissions information, prompting the disciplinary action. The university did not disclose the professor's specific motives, but Japanese media speculates he may have sought to limit the recruitment of Chinese students.

Indo-Pacific Strategy Think Tank CEO Yaita Akio shared the news, noting the dark humor in a top Japanese professor using the sensitive phrase to "outsmart" China's censorship. While acknowledging such methods are not encouraged, Yaita suggested the professor's anxiety about the Chinese Communist Party's influence, potentially through students, is understandable. He pointed to growing international discussions in Japan, the U.S., and Europe regarding security risks and technology leakage associated with admitting Chinese students.

Many netizens praised the professor, with comments like "Support the professor's actions!" and "The professor did a great job." Some expressed understanding for Tokyo University's need to maintain fairness in admissions but questioned the environment that would drive a professor to such a risky act. The most absurd aspect, according to Yaita, lies not in Tokyo but in Beijing. He argued that China's stringent internet censorship itself gives the phrase "June 4 Tiananmen" its sensitive power and influences international information flow, rather than the professor's actions.