A Chinese influencer who sparked controversy overseas by lecturing Taiwanese and Hong Kong classmates about their identities is now facing an awkward visa predicament after reportedly being rejected by Australia.
Rita Jing, who is studying at a language school in New Zealand, attracted attention after posting videos on Douyin and Instagram discussing classmates who introduced themselves as being from Taiwan and Hong Kong.
She reportedly took issue with their introductions and insisted that Taiwan is part of China, while describing Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region. Her comments subsequently attracted criticism and triggered heated debate online.
But the controversy took an ironic turn after Jing reportedly revealed that she had been hoping to leave New Zealand for Australia to continue her university studies.
“I want to stay here longer”
According to reports, Jing said one reason she was interested in Australia was that an Australian university could potentially provide a longer student visa, allowing her to remain overseas for a longer period.
She reportedly said she wanted to “stay here longer” and did not want to return home.
Her Australian visa application was subsequently rejected, according to reports. With her current New Zealand visa also approaching expiry, she could eventually have to return to Shanghai if she cannot secure another lawful immigration arrangement.
That development has provided plenty of material for social media users, who have focused heavily on the apparent contrast between her outspoken patriotism and her reported desire to continue living and studying abroad.
Some commenters argued that loving one’s country and wanting to live overseas are not mutually exclusive. Others, however, mocked the situation as an example of someone enthusiastically promoting her homeland while simultaneously doing everything possible to avoid returning there.
From patriotic lectures to visa problems
Jing’s original controversy began after she complained about Taiwanese and Hong Kong students in her New Zealand language school.
She reportedly said she felt uncomfortable when classmates introduced themselves as being from Taiwan or Hong Kong rather than simply identifying as Chinese. She then expressed her own political position on Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The comments reportedly led to backlash online. Jing subsequently claimed that she had faced intense online harassment and said she was frightened by the reaction. She also reportedly said she was the only Chinese student in her class and did not want to be isolated.
The dispute has since expanded beyond the Taiwan and Hong Kong issue, with online users scrutinising Jing’s overseas education plans and her reported visa situation.
Some reports have also highlighted social media posts in which Jing described herself as coming from a rural background, while other images appeared to show her wearing expensive international luxury brands. Those claims have also fuelled further online discussion.
“Love China, but don’t want to go back?”
The resulting debate has produced a particularly brutal punchline across social media: if someone is so proud of their homeland, why are they so determined to remain overseas?
Others have pushed back against that argument, noting that patriotism and overseas education are not inherently contradictory. A person can be proud of their country while studying, working or travelling abroad.
However, Jing’s reported statement that she wanted to remain overseas for as long as possible has made the situation particularly easy for critics to ridicule.
For now, the key issue is her immigration status. If her New Zealand visa expires and she cannot obtain another valid visa, she may have to return to Shanghai.
The details surrounding her Australian visa refusal have not been publicly established in full, and claims circulating on social media should therefore be treated cautiously.
What began as a heated argument over whether classmates should identify themselves as Taiwanese or Hong Kongers has now become an altogether different internet spectacle: an outspoken patriot reportedly trying to find a way to stay overseas — only for Australia to say no.