A German man has learned the hard way that practicing journalism in China, even for a class project, could lead to serious trouble.
David Missal, 24, was pursuing a master's degree in journalism and communication at prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing. He was due to return to Germany on Sunday after immigration authorities told him his student visa was canceled and he had a week to leave China.
Missal said he thinks that's because he reported on the plight of jailed human rights lawyers in a journalism class. Missal said a Tsinghua representative this year warned him twice against pursuing the politically sensitive subject, but he went ahead anyway because he wanted to "get to learn Chinese society and politics."
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