"I am only a small potato. I have parents to serve and a child to support. I just want a peaceful life. I don't want to become the focus of news reports," said Qiang Jianzhou, Xidian University publicity department director, in tears. It was quite a change from his previously tough image.
On December 17 during an interview with a China National Radio reporter we saw a very different side of Qiang Jianzhou's character. He lost his temper, threatened to take over a popular Internet forum and "do something that will shock the whole nation". When the reporter tried to leave his office he tried to have her arrested by security guards, but the next day Qiang's outburst was broadcast on China National Radio, sparking a nationwide controversy.
Qiang, who is also a professor of moral education, had been angered by questions about the university's leaking of students' personal information to banks – the so-called Creditgate scandal.
News that Xidian had handed over the details of 10,000 students to banks broke when a student revealed on the university bulletin board that he had been issued with a credit card by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) although he had never applied for one. A bank clerk told him that the university had applied for the credit card on his behalf.
Qiang later apologized for losing his temper with the China National Radio reporter "By taking over the Internet forum I actually meant posting an explanation and apology for the credit card applications."
"Mr. Qiang is fond of giving lectures," a Xidian University student told Time Weekly, "we are very surprised at his change of image."
The University apologized to the students, admitting that it had collectively applied for ICBC credit cards for all students studying at the university without their authorization. They said that ICBC had dealt with this issue properly and students' credit ratings would not be affected.
"No further explanation was given," said a young teacher, "We all regard it as a joke. We are not surprised. It shows that something is wrong with the management of the University. The person directly responsible for the scandal should be punished. In the US, the president of the University would be punished. But the university has just stopped talking about the matter and the students have started to forget about it."
The finance director of Xidian earlier had expressed the view that the university's conduct was quite reasonable, saying the university needs the banks to finance its development and the banks need the university to help them issue credit cards.
Chen Wei, a lawyer from the Beijing Zedu Law Firm told Time Weekly that the conduct of the Xidian University had infringed the general principals of civil law and the Higher Education Law. But since no actual harm had been inflicted, it would be difficult to pursue the matter.
"Xidian is not a well-known university and the scandal will give us some publicity. So in some ways it might be quite positive," the young teacher told the Time Weekly.
The China Banking Regulation Commission said it is investigating the affair.
(China.org.cn by Zhang Ming'ai, December 26, 2008)