Complaints and appeals: student rights in the quality standards
Two national texts set out the complaint and appeal rights of international students at higher education institutions in mainland China. Section 17 of the Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), issued by Ministry of Education notice 教外〔2018〕50号, sets the duties of the school. Article 31 of Order No. 42 requires a withdrawal or expulsion decision to be filed for the record.
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The English wording on this page is this site's translation of the Chinese text of both documents.
What section 17 requires
Section 17 is titled student rights protection. Its four items are set out below as translated.
| Item | What the school shall do |
|---|---|
| 17 (lead sentence) | Take effective measures to protect the lawful rights and interests of international students in China in earnest. |
| 17.1 Information disclosure | Publish admissions, teaching and training, management and service information to international students in writing, in electronic or paper form, in a way that is easy to consult, in line with the national rules on information disclosure. |
| 17.2 Supervision | Publicly tell international students, in a way that is easy to consult, the channels and methods for reporting and complaining about illegal or irregular conduct inside the school, and handle their reports and complaints in a standardised way. |
| 17.3 Appeals | Clearly tell international students who are subject to a disposition or punishment the channels and methods for appeal, and handle their appeals in a standardised way. |
| 17.4 Information security and privacy | Set up and improve the relevant systems in line with the relevant national laws, and take effective measures to protect the personal information and privacy of international students. |
Section 17 is part of the trial standards. The standards are addressed to higher education institutions, so each item states what the institution shall do.
Complaints and reports
Item 17.2 requires the school to make the reporting and complaint channels public. It covers reports and complaints about illegal or irregular conduct inside the school. Item 17.2 does not set the channels or the method itself. It requires the school to state them.
Appeals
Item 17.3 applies to international students who are subject to a disposition or punishment. The school shall tell them clearly how to appeal. The school shall handle their appeals in a standardised way. The channel and the method are left to the school to state.
Withdrawal and expulsion decisions
Article 31 of Order No. 42 (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法) says the school handles student status for international students by reference to the rules for the student status of Chinese students. For a withdrawal (退学处理) or an expulsion (开除学籍处分) decision, the school shall file the decision for the record in accordance with the rules of the education administration department under the State Council.
Information the school publishes
Article 23 of Order No. 42 requires the school to make public its basic information, its teaching and learning information, its admissions brochure, and its management and service system for international students. The purpose stated in the article is to make information easy for international students to obtain. Item 17.1 of the Quality Standards covers the same kind of information and adds that it be published in writing, in a way that is easy to consult.
Questions
Does section 17 set a time limit for an appeal?
Section 17.3 sets no time limit. It requires the school to tell the student the channel and method for appeal and to handle appeals in a standardised way.
Does section 17 name the body that decides an appeal?
No. Section 17.3 does not name the body that decides an appeal.
Sources
- Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42), Ministry of Education of the PRC
Checked 11 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, and it is not published by the Ministry of Education or any other body named here. If the official text and the instructions of the body handling your case differ, the official text and those instructions prevail.