Beijing confirms that Confucius Institutes subvert Western academic freedom.
The Wall Street Journal
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[Photo caption: Chinese Vice Minister Xu Lin. Zuma Press]
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Critics have argued that China’s Confucius Institutes pose a threat to academic freedom in the United States, Canada, Europe and beyond. Now the Beijing official in charge of them has confirmed it.
If you’re new to this issue, the Chinese government has set up 1,100 of these state-run institutes since 2004 to teach language and culture within universities and grade schools world-wide. Now the institutes are facing long overdue scrutiny, and some universities and school districts are closing them down.
On Sunday the BBC interviewed Chinese Vice Minister Xu Lin, director-general of Confucius Institute Headquarters. She confirmed in no uncertain terms that her organization exports the values of the Chinese Communist Party to foreign academic institutions, from Columbia and Stanford to neighborhood elementary schools.
Ms. Xu described how the teachers must file official reports and answer questions about whether they discussed politically sensitive subjects in the classroom. She also confirmed that Beijing forces foreign institutions to deny employment to believers in Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China.
We wrote about Ms. Xu this summer, when her staff tore out pages from the program at an academic conference in Portugal. She was offended by the co-sponsorship of a Taiwanese foundation.
Queried about this by the BBC, Ms. Xu was dismissive. “Nobody worried, I was there,” she claimed—even though the European Association for Chinese Studies brought the episode to light as a “totally unacceptable” act of academic bullying.
When the BBC’s John Sudworth pressed on, Ms. Xu became impatient. “I think you shouldn’t ask this question,” she said. “The Taiwan issue is our own issue. It’s a China issue. It’s not a foreign people’s issue.” She demanded that Mr. Sudworth erase their discussion of the “Portugal issue.” Mr. Sudworth refused.
Then Ms. Xu offered perhaps the most revealing statement of all: “Every mainland teacher we send,” she explained, “will say Taiwan belongs to China. We should have one China. No hesitation.”
Earlier this year, U.S. College Board President David Coleman feted Ms. Xu at a conference in Los Angeles. Referring to Ms. Xu’s agency by its Chinese acronym, Hanban, Mr. Coleman gushed: “Hanban is like the sun. It lights the path to develop Chinese teaching in the U.S. The College Board is the moon. I am so honored to reflect the light that we’ve gotten from Hanban.”
Not all scholars and politicians are so credulous. The University of Chicago and Penn State recently closed their Confucius Institutes, while Canada’s largest school district, in Toronto, nixed plans to open one.
Ms. Xu’s comments now challenge the legions of American university and K-12 leaders who have never raised concerns, even as most of them signed secret contracts with Beijing. New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith has pledged to investigate such contracts and examine whether institutions should lose government funds for restricting academic freedom. Such efforts can help, but a broader shift in attitude is needed.
Students deserve opportunities to study Chinese language and culture without wearing ideological blinders provided by Beijing. To the extent that Beijing-backed Confucius Institutes shape instruction in the West, Chinese government interests will increasingly trump academic freedom.
Original article
From FOFG Editor: Below is a list of some of the Confucius Institutes that a supporter provided. (Source: http://confuciusinstitute.unl.edu/institutes.shtml) FOFG encourages website visitors to check to see if their alma maters or current schools are on the list. If you find yours, please consider sending a copy of this article or a link to it to the school or university, as well as your own concerns.
Afghanistan
Kabul University
Albania
University of Tirana
Argentina
National University of La Plata
University of Buenos Aires
Armenia
Yerevan State Linguistic University After V.Bryusov
Australia
Bangor University
Charles Darwin University
Confucius Institute in Adelaide
Queensland University of Technology
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
State of New South Wales
University of Melbourne
University of New South Wales
University of Newcastle
University of Queensland
University of Sydney
University of Western Australia
Austria
University of Graz
University of Vienna
Azerbaijan
Baku State University
Bahamas
The College of the Bahamas
Bahrain
University of Bahrain
Bangladesh
North South University
Belarus
Belarusian State University
Minsk State Linguistic University
Science and Technology Confucius Institute at Belarusian National Technical University
Belgium
Confucius Institute in Brussels
Confucius Institute at GROUP T
Confucius Institute in Liege
University College West Flanders
Benin
University of Abomey-Calavi
Bolivia
University of San Simon
Botswana
University of Botswana
Brazil
Business Confucius Institute at FAAP
Confucius Institute at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Federal University of Rio Grand Do Sul
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
University of Brasilia
University of Campinas
University of Estadual Paulista
University of Pernambuco
Bulgaria
Confucius Institute in Sofia
Confucius Institute at St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo
Burundi
University of Burundi
Cambodia
Confucius Institute of Royal Academy of Cambodia
Cameroon
University of Yaounde II
Canada
Brock University
Carleton University
Confucius Institute at BCIT
Confucius Institute in Coquitlam
Confucius Institute in Edmonton
Confucius Institute in New Brunswick
Confucius Institute in Quebec
Confucius Institute of Toronto
Saint Mary’s University
Seneca College
University of Regina
University of Saskatchewan
University of Waterloo
Chile
Confucius Institute at Catholic University
University of Saint Thomas
Colombia
Confucius Institute in Medellin
Jorge Tadeo Lozano University
University of Los Andes
Congo
University of Marien NGOUABI
Costa Rica
University of Costa Rica
Croatia
University of Zagreb
Cuba
University of Habana
Czech Republic
Palacky University
Denmark
Copenhagen Business Confucius Institute
Confucius Institute for Innovation & Learning at Aailborg University
Royal Danish Academy of Music
Ecuador
San Francisco University of Quito
Egypt
Cairo University
Suez Cannal University
Eritrea
Confucius Institute at National Board for Higher Education
Estonia
Tallinn University
Ethiopia
Addis Ababa Confucius Institute
Fiji
South Pacific University
Finland
University of Helsinki
France
Chinese Cultural Center in Paris
Confucius Institute in Alsace
Confucius Institute in Artois
Confucius Institute in Brittany
Confucius Institute in Clermont-Ferrand
Confucius Institute in La Rochelle
Confucius Institute in Montpellier
Confucius Institute in Toulouse
Confucius Institute of Reunion Island
Neoma Business Confucius Institute-Rouen
Paris Diderot University
Pays de la Loire in Angers
University of French Polynesia
University of Lorraine
University of Poitiers
West Paris-Nanterre-La Defense University
Georgia
Free University of Tbilisi
Germany
Confucius Institute in Bremen
Confucius Institute in Hannover
Confucius Institute in Munich
Confucius Institute Metropolis Ruhr
Confucius Institute Nurnberg at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nurnberg
Erfurt University of Applied Sciences
Frankfurt University
Free University of Berlin
Trier University
University of Duesseldorf
University of Freiburg
University of Hamburg
University of Heidelberg
University of Leipzig
Ghana
University of Ghana
Greece
Business Confucius Institute in Athens
Guyana
University of Guyana
Hong Kong
Confucius Institute of Hong Kong
Hungary
Eotvos Lorand University
University of Miskolc
University of Szeged
Iceland
Northern Light Confucius Institute in Iceland
India
University of Mumbai
VIT University
Indonesia
Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at Hasanuddin University
Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at Malang State University
Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at Maranatha Christian University
Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at Tanjungpura University
Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at Universitas Negeri Surabaya
Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at University of Al Azhar Indonesia
Iran
University of Tehran
Ireland
UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland
University College Cork in Ireland
Israel
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Tel Aviv University
Italy
Confucius Institute in Bologna
Confucius Institute of Pisa
Oriental University of Napoli
UCSC Milan Campus
University of Florence
University of Macerata
University of Milan
University of Padova
University of Rome La Sapienza
University of Turin
Venice University
Jamaica
University of the West Indies-Mona Campus
Japan
Aichi University
Chinese Medicine Confucius Institute at Hyogo College of Medicine
Fukuyama University
Hokuriku University
J.F. Oberlin University
Kansai Gaidai University
Kogakuin University
North South University
Sapporo University
Ritsumeikan
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Okayama Shoka University
Osaka Sangyo University
Waseda University
Jordan
Ammen TAG Confucius Institute
Philadelphia University
Kazakhstan
Aktobe State Pedagogical Institute
Eurasian University
Kazakh National University
National Technical University of Karaganda of Kazakhstan
Kenya
Egerton University
Kenyatta University
University of Nairobi
Korea
Andong National University
Cheju Halla College
Chungbuk National University
Chungnam National University
Confucius Institute in Seoul
Daejin University
Dong-A University
Dongseo University
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Honam University
Kangwon National University
Keimyung University
Kyung Hee University
Sehan University
Soon Chun Hyang University
University of Incheon
Woosong University
Woosuk University
Yonsei University
Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek Humanities University
Kyrgyz National University
Osh State University
Laos
National University of Laos
Latvia
University of Latvia
Lebanon
Confucius Institute at St. Joseph University
Liberia
University of Liberia
Lithuania
Vilnius University
Macedonia
SS Cyril and Methodius University
Madagascar
Antananarivo University
Malaysia
Kongzi Institute for the Teaching of Chinese Language at University of Malaya
Malawi
University of Malawi
Malta
University of Malta
Mexico
Autonomic National University of Mexico
Autonomic University of Chihuahua
Autonomic University of New Leon
Autonomic University of Yucatan
Confucius Institute in Mexico City
Moldova
Free International University of Moldova
Mongolia
National University of Mongolia
Morocco
University of Hassan II
University Mohammed V-Agdal
Mozambique
Eduardo Mondlane University
Namibia
University of Namibia
Nepal
Kathmandu University
Netherlands
Groningen Confucius Institute
Leiden University
New Zealand
Confucius Institute in Auckland
University of Canterbury
Victoria University of Wellington
Nigeria
Nnamdi Azikiwe University
University of Lagos
Norway
Confucius Institute in Bergen
Pakistan
Confucius Institute in Islamabad
University of Karachi
Peru
Catholic University of Peru
Catholic University of Santa Maria
Ricardo Palma University
University of Piura
Philippines
Angeles University Foundation
Ateneo de Manila University
Bulacan State University
Poland
Adam Mickiewicz University
Confucius Institute in Krakow
Opole University of Technology
University of Wroclaw
Portugal
University of Lisbon
University of Minho
Romania
Babes Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca
Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Transilvania University of Brasov
University of Bucharest
Russia
Amur State University of Humanities and Pedagogy
Blagoveshchensk National Pedagogical University
Buryat State University
Confucius Institute at Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Far Eastern National University
Irkutsk State University
Kazan State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Moscow State Linguistic University
Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University
Novosibirsk State University of Technology
Russian State University for the Humanities
Ryazan State University
Saint-Petersburg State University
The Kalmyk State University
Tomsk State University
Ural State University
Volgograd State Pedagogical University
Rwanda
Kigali Institute of Education
Senegal
University of Dakar
Serbia
Confucius Institute in Belgrade
University of Novi Sad
Sierra Leone
University of Sierra Leone
Singapore
Nanyang Technological University
Slovakia
Confucius Institute in Bratislava
Slovenia
University of Ljubljana
South Africa
Centre for Chinese Studies
Durban University of Technology
Rhodes University
University of Cape Town
Spain
Confucius Institute in Barcelona
Confucius Institute in Madrid
The University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria
Universidad de Leon
University of Granada
University of Valencia
Sri Lanka
University of Kelaniya
Sudan
University of Khartoum
Sweden
Blekinge Institute of Technology
Confucius Institute in Lulea
Karlstad University
Nordic Confucius Institute in Stockholm
Switzerland
Confucius Institute in Geneva
University of Basel
Tajikistan
Tajikistan National University
Tanzania
University of Dar es Salaam
University of Dodoma
Thailand
Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University
Betong Municipality
Burapha University
Chiang Mai University
Chulalongkorn University
Kasetsart University
Khon Kaen University
Mae Fah Luang University
Mahasarakham University
Phuket-Prince of Songkla University
Prince of Songkla University
Suan Dusit Rajabhat University at Suphanburi
Togo
University of Lome
Trinidad and Tobage
University of the West Indies-St Augustine Campus
Turkey
Bogazici University
Middle East Technical University
Okan University
Ukraine
Kharkiv State University
Kiev State Linguistic University
Luhansk National Pedagogical University
National Taras Shevchenko University of Kiev
South Ukranian National Pedagogical University
United Arab Emirates
University of Dubai
Zayed University
United Kingdom
Business Confucius Institute at the University of Leeds
Cardiff University
Confucius Institute at the Institute of Education, University of London
Confucius Institute for Business, London
Confucius Institute for Dance and Performance at Goldsmiths, University of London
Confucius Institute for Scotland in the University of Edinburgh
Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools
Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine, London
De Montfort University
Edge Hill University
Lancaster University
London Confucius Institute
Scottish Confucius Institute for Business and Communication at Heriot Watt University
University of Aberdeen
University of Central Lancashire
University of Glasgow
University of Liverpool
University of Manchester
University of Nottingham
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University of Ulster
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
University of Wales-Lampeter
United States
Alfred University
Arizona State University
Auburn University at Montgomery
Broward County Public Schools
Bryant University
Central Connecticut State University
Cleveland State University
College of William & Mary
Colorado State University
Community College of Denver
Confucius Institute at China Institute
Confucius Institute at Columbia University
Confucius Institute for Business at State University of New York
Confucius Institute in Atlanta
Confucius Institute in Chicago
Confucius Institute in Indianapolis
Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera at the State University of New York at Binghamton
East Central Ohio Educational Service Center
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgia Regents University
Georgia State University
Houston Independent School District
Kennesaw State University
Miami University
Miami Dade College
Michigan State University
Middle Tennessee University
New Mexico State University
North Carolina State University
Old Dominion University
Pace University
Pennsylvania State University
Pfeiffer University
Portland State University
Prairie View A&M University
Presbyterian College
Purdue University
Rutgers-the State University of New Jersey
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
St. Cloud State University
Stanford University
State College of Optometry-State University of New York
State of Washington
State University of New York at Buffalo
Stony Brook University
Texas A&M University
Texas Southern University
Troy University
Tulane University
University at Albany, State University of New York
University of Akron
University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Arizona
University of California-Davis
University of California-Los Angeles
University of Central Arkansas
University of Chicago
University of Delaware
University of Idaho
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts Confucius Institute at Boston
University of Memphis
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Missouri
University of Montana
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of New Hampshire
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rhode Island
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern Maine
University of Tennessee
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Toledo
University of Utah
University of West Florida
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Valparaiso University
Wayne State University
Webster University
West Kentucky University
Wesleyan College
Western Michigan University
Xavier University of Louisiana
Uzbekistan
Confucius Institute in Tashkent
Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages
Zambia
University of Zambia
Zimbabwe
University of Zimbabwe