Vehicles move through the automated assembly process at Xiaomi’s final assembly workshop. (Photo: Courtesy of Xiaomi)
After a video went viral in which a Xiaomi-brand car is rejected from entering Guangzhou Huali College by the security, the institute issued a statement, denying claims that Xiaomi vehicles were barred from entering the campus, saying that its registration-based entry measures apply uniformly to all vehicles without any brand-specific restrictions.
On Sunday evening, Guangzhou Huali College released a statement on its official website, saying that it strictly enforces a registration and approval system for external vehicles entering the campus, under which all visiting vehicles must enter with a reservation access code, and no entry restrictions are imposed on any specific brand. According to surveillance footage from the past three months, vehicles of various brands with registered license plates have been allowed to enter and exit the campus normally, the college said.
Guangzhou Huali College also stated that related rumors are under investigation. It vowed to take corrective actions without hesitation "if any other issues in the operations are identified."
Guangzhou Huali College (Photo: VCG)
Recently, a Xiaomi car owner posted a video online, in which a security guard of Guangzhou Huali College stopped the car at the entrance and said Xiaomi vehicles were prohibited from entering the campus, sparking widespread discussion online. In the video, the security guard said all vehicle brands including Tesla are allowed to enter as long as they are registered in advance, except Xiaomi.
On Sunday noon, a security guard told China Newsweek that the college had banned Xiaomi vehicles from entering the campus since last year, with the rule reportedly issued by school leadership. When asked about the reason, the guard said he was not aware of the issue and was simply enforcing instructions from higher authorities to turn away Xiaomi vehicles, according to China Newsweek.
However, at 11 pm on Sunday, Lin Hai, assistant to the president of Guangzhou Huali College, told China Newsweek that the security guard's earlier remarks were untrue. He said the university has never imposed any entry restrictions on vehicles based on brand, and that an investigation will be launched into the security guard involved.
Some netizens suspect that the school may be involved in undisclosed issues and argue that the security guard is being made a scapegoat, as he would not have the authority to make such a significant decision. Others believe the incident may be a deliberate attempt to discredit Xiaomi. Meanwhile, another group of users urged the public to "stay calm and wait and see," suggesting further developments should be observed before drawing conclusions.
Guangzhou Huali College (formerly Huali College of Guangdong University of Technology) was founded in 1999. In 2004, it was approved by the Ministry of Education as one of the first batch of independent colleges in Guangdong Province to offer full undergraduate education. In 2021, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, it was transformed into Guangzhou Huali College.