DOCSLIB.ORG

China's Soft Power Offensive

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
China's Soft Power Offensive CHINA’S SOFT POWER OFFENSIVE Confucius Institutes and China’s Interference in Local Education Centres INTERNATIONAL TIBET NETWORK CONTENTS: Introduction 1 An Extended Arm of the Chinese Government 1 Censorship 2 Propaganda 4 Infiltration: Canada, United States, Europe 5 Recommendations 8 Further Reading 8 ii China’s Soft Power Offensive: Confucius Institutes And Chinese Interference In Local Educational Centres Language classes - at first glance they seem harmless marketed as a benign language and culture program, and quite innocent: learning a new language and getting Confucius Institutes use their influence to direct the to know a different culture will enrich your life and help academic discourse and intellectual debate. By distorting shape your world-view. But what if a language class isn’t information on political and human rights issues such as innocent as it looks? What if a language class is being as Tibet, the persecution of Falun Gong-followers or the used as a covert tool of propaganda and censorship? Tiananmen massacre of 1989, these institutes are used as a key part of Beijing’s soft-power push around the world. This is precisely what China’s Confucius Institutes are doing in our own educational institutions - from primary “An oppressive government is fiercer and more feared and secondary school to universities and colleges. As the than a tiger”, Confucius said, believing a person should Chinese answer to the British Council, Goethe-Institut or be humble towards authority. A statement that fits present- Alliance Française, the Confucius Institutes have been day China like a glove, although Chairman Mao Zedong set up to provide language courses and cultural events once condemned Confucius as a feudal thinker and around the world. The difference, however, is that his Red Guards smashed all evidence of his existence. those first named institutions exist independently, In the last decades Confucius – or at least the brand - while the Confucius Institutes are predominantly became useful again in the corridors of power in Beijing integrated and embedded into our reputable schools and has been on a comeback. The Chinese philosopher, and universities. It not only uses the infrastructure and whose teachings dominated imperial China for centuries, premises, but also the reputation of the respected school created ethical models on family and public life and set and university to legitimize its covert means. For local educational standards. His ‘Analects’, a compilation of education facilities it usually means good business with sayings attributed to him, is back on the curriculum in the the institutes providing and funding teachers, materials People’s Republic of China while Mao’s Little Red Book is and the establishment of the centres – student trips to being shelved. American political scientist Joseph S. Nye, China included. Since opening its first doors in Seoul in who coined the term ‘soft power’ in 1990, stated that ‘the 2004, the Confucius Institutes have known a rapid growth best propaganda is not propaganda’.1 As for China and in the last decade and are counting over 500 branches of its manoeuvring within the international community, one of the institute and over 1000 classrooms in more than 140 the most ancient and influential thinkers in history works countries worldwide. like a charm. Learning the Chinese language is not a crime, however it’s a disturbing and threatening fact that Confucius AN EXTENDED ARM OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT Institutes are controlled and funded by the Chinese The Confucius Institute (CI), under the auspices of The government - a totalitarian regime that lacks all respect for Office of the Chinese Language Council International freedom of speech and all basic human rights. Although or more commonly ‘Hanban’, describes itself as an The Confucius Institute program began in 2004. There are now over 500 Confucius Institutes in dozens of countries across six continents; the highest concentration of Institutes in Europe and the United States. China’s Ministry of Education estimated in 2010 that 100 million people over- seas were taking part in CI learning. The Chinese Government aims to establish 1,000 Confucius Institutes by 2020. At least 24 CIs in the US have been closed due to concern for academic freedom and censorship. INTERNATIONAL TIBET NETWORK 1 educational institution that is “committed to providing Taking this into account, the description for Hanban Chinese language and cultural teaching resources as ‘Chinese Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign and services worldwide, it goes all out in meeting the Language’ sounds much less harmless as it initially did demands of foreign Chinese learners and contributing to and is a mere beautification and trivialization of the truth. It the development of multiculturalism and the building of a is clear that the Confucius Institutes do not aim to conduct harmonious world”.2 serious and high-level education and research, but want to spread a distorted image of the People’s Republic of Confucius Institutes - and their offshoot Confucius China. Classrooms - are set up through partnerships between a Chinese university, a foreign university and Hanban, In a testimony presented to the US Subcommittee on which provides funding, staff and materials. Self-identified Oversight and Investigations House Committee on Foreign as a non-governmental and non-profit organisation with Affairs it states that “The purpose of the UFWD, it should affiliations to the Chinese Ministry of Education it operates be noted, is subversion, co-option and control. During by The Constitution and By-Laws of the Confucius the Communist revolution, it subverted and co-opted Institutes, which state to “abide by the laws and regulations a number of other political parties, such as the Chinese of the countries in which they are located, respect local Socialist Party, into serving the interests of the Communist cultural and educational traditions and social customs, Party. After the establishment of the PRC, it continued and they shall not contravene concerning the laws and to control these parties, which were allowed to exist on regulations of China”.3 sufferance, albeit as hollow shells, to create the illusion of ‘democracy’ in China. That it has de facto control over the Despite its so-called independent status and outward Hanban suggests, more strongly than anything else, what appearance of academic legitimacy, Hanban, in reality, one of the chief purposes of the Confucius Institutes are, is controlled by what is vaguely named the Council. namely, to subvert, co-opt, and ultimately control Western Chaired by members of the Politburo - China’s top leading academic discourse on matters pertaining to China.” 6 Communist Party members - the Council determines the strategies and overall working of the global Confucius Institutes. CENSORSHIP The true nature of the Confucius Institute - and one of In order to see the true nature of Confucius Institutes the most prominent cases of self-censorship - came to it’s necessary, according to former U.S. intelligence light when McMaster University in Canada shut down its analyst Peter Mattis, to understand their connections Confucius Institute in 2013 due to a human rights complaint. to the Communist Party and its history. They can be Former CI teacher Sonia Zhao exposed the rules of her directly linked to the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department (UFWD), rooted in the Maoist area and campaigning ‘to mobilize the party’s friends and to strike at the party’s enemies’. Key example here is Madame Liu Yandong, one of the former two female Politburo members and highest-ranked woman in the Party, who launched the Confucius Institutes and served as chairwoman when the program began. “They are an instrument of the Party’s power, not a support for independent scholarship,” Mattis said. “They can be used to groom academics and administrators to provide a voice for the party in university decision-making.” 4 The somewhat obscure UFWD is an integral part of the Party structure penetrating the lowest levels and coordinated by the very top - the United Front Leading Small Group initiated by President Xi Jinping. The department is responsible for managing the Party’s relations with non-party elites both inside and outside China. Winning support for China’s political agenda, accumulating overseas influence and gathering intelligence are amongst its key aims. According to a Financial Times investigation the United Fronts are ‘to charm, co-opt or attack well-defined groups and individuals’. The organisation’s structure consists of nine bureaus which cover almost all possible threats the CCP’s power structure could face: the 60 million overseas Chinese in over 180 countries, Taiwan and Hong Kong, religion in all it shapes and sizes (for example, the future reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama) and cultivating loyalty or suppressing separatism among minority people 5 in Tibet and Xinjiang. In the Name of Confucius movie poster (In the Name of Confucius) 2 China’s Soft Power Offensive: Confucius Institutes And Chinese Interference In Local Educational Centres employment imposed by Hanban which forced her to hide academic institutions that co-sponsored the event. When her belief in Falun Gong, a spiritual movement persecuted Professor Roger Greatrex, president of the association, by the Chinese government. During her training she was was informed that conference participants were receiving taught to avoid sensitive topics and if students insisted programs
Load more

Recommended publications
  • State of the Field Proficiency, Sustainability, and Beyond
    2012 State of the Field Proficiency, Sustainability, and Beyond April 12–14, 2012 | Washington, D.C. At a Glance Dear Colleagues: Contents 2012 Wednesday, April 11 Welcome to the Fifth Annual National Chinese Language Conference! At a Glance Front Inside Cover * 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Registration Open Whether this is your first or fifth year participating in the conference, we are very pleased *** Welcome Letters 1–2 1–4 p.m. Preconference Workshops that you are joining us in Washington, D.C., to examine and reflect upon the state of Chinese language and culture education, both in the United States and abroad. The field Thank-Yous 3 Thursday, April 12 has come a long way over the past few decades. This meeting is an excellent time for us 6:45 a.m.–6 p.m. Registration Open* to take stock of what has been accomplished and what we still must strive to achieve. Preconference 4 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Preconference School Visits The 21st century is a time of rapid change, bringing both challenges and opportunities. *** We hope that this conference will inspire you to think creatively about the effective use of 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Preconference Workshops Main Conference 8 resources and collaboration across the field. 1–4 p.m. Preconference Workshops*** **** 1–4:15 p.m. Exhibits Open Your work is more important than ever, and we applaud your dedication to equipping Speaker Biographies 43 4:30–7:30 p.m. Plenary I: Opening Plenary and I SING BeiJING Concert** our students — the leaders of tomorrow — with the skills and knowledge they need to 7:45–9:00 p.m.
    [Show full text]
  • What Determines China's Allocation of Confucius Institute
    What Determines China's Allocation of Confucius Institute: Educational, Political, or Economic Interest? Jun Xiang∗ Wei-hao Huangy Abstract In recent years, an increasing number of scholars have devoted attention to China's expanded soft power. Among these scholars, many have examined China's establish- ment of Confucius Institutes around the world. However, despite the ample scholarship on this topic, a comprehensive theoretical and empirical analysis of the determinants of China's allocation of Confucius Institutes is missing in the existing research. This study fills this important gap. We argue that China's allocation of Confucius Institutes is driven by its educational, political, and economic interests altogether. In addition, we provide arguably the first large-N empirical assessment that includes all countries from 2004 to 2014. The findings demonstrate that educational, political, and economic interests coexist when China decides the allocation of Confucius Institutes. ∗Assistant Professor, Economics and Global Affairs, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, Email: [email protected] yPh.D. Candidate, Division of Global Affairs, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, Email: [email protected] 1 Introduction The rise of China has attracted a great deal of scholarly attention in recent years. For example, in observing China's significantly expanded economic and military power, scholars have extensively debated whether a rising China poses a threat to international security (e.g., Gurtov and Hwang 1998; Rapkin and Thompson 2003; Christensen 2006; Fravel 2010; Xiang, Primiano and Huang 2015).1 In addition, an increasing number of scholars have devoted attention to China's increased soft power (e.g., Ding 2008; Nye 2008; Paradise 2009; Yang 2009; Zhu 2010; Gilley 2011; Li and Worm 2011; Nye 2013).
    [Show full text]
  • Asian Studies in the Arab States of the Gulf: Challenges and Potential
    The Newsletter | No.72 | Autumn 2015 The Focus | 39 Asian Studies in the Arab states of the Gulf: challenges and potential on East Asia, covering China, Japan and Korea and the This is a preliminary exploration into the state of Asian Studies in the Arab states of Newly Industrializing economies. The UAE University in Al Ain also offers a minor in Korean language. Following the course the Gulf. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates structure of North American universities, many of the public universities in the region have introduced general education are the six countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): a regional programs, designed to generate a higher global awareness. Many of these programs involve Asia, but more specialized bloc formed in 1981 on the basis of geographical contiguity for economic, technical, courses on Asian regions are still rather limited. The absence of advanced courses or programs on East Asia, social and cultural cooperation. They share not only a common religious and linguistic South Asia, Southeast Asia and Central Asia in the Gulf univer- sities does not indicate a lack of awareness of the importance heritage, they are also endowed with hydrocarbon resources that have fueled rapid of the emergence or re-emergence of (specific parts of) Asia. Japan and the Republic of Korea have already made significant economic growth and modernization. impressions insofar as their popular cultures are concerned. Many academic institutions in the region celebrate Japan day. Habibul Haque Khondker At Zayed University, there are Japanese Clubs and Korean Clubs initiated by the students who partake in various Japanese cultural activities.
    [Show full text]
  • Xi Jinping Stands at the Crossroads What the 19Th Party Congress Tells Us
    Li-wen Tung Xi Jinping Stands at the Crossroads What the 19th Party Congress Tells Us Prospect Foundation 2018 PROSPECT FOUNDATION Xi Jinping Stands at the Crossroads What the 19th Party Congress Tells Us Author: Li-wen Tung（董立文） First Published: March 2018 Prospect Foundation Chairman: Tan-sun Chen, Ph.D.（陳唐山） President: I-chung Lai, Ph.D.（賴怡忠） Publishing Department Chief Editor: Chung-cheng Chen, Ph.D.（陳重成） Executive Editor: Julia Chu（朱春梅） Wei-min Liu（劉維民） Editor: Yu-chih Chen（陳昱誌） Published by PROSPECT FOUNDATION No. 1, Lane 60, Sec. 3, Tingzhou Rd., Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel: 886-2-23654366 This article is also available online at http://www.pf.org.tw All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-986-89374-6-8 Prospect Foundation The Prospect Foundation (hereafter as the Foundation), a private, non-profit research organization, was founded on the third of March 1997 in Taipei in the Republic of China on Taiwan. Strictly non-partisan, the Foundation enjoys academic and administrative independence. The Foundation is dedicated to providing her clients government agencies, private enterprises and academic institutions with pragmatic and comprehensive policy analysis on current crucial issues in the areas of Cross-Strait relations, foreign policy, national security, international relations, strategic studies, and international business. The Foundation seeks to serve as a research center linking government agencies, private enterprises and academic institutions in terms of information integration and policy analysis.
    [Show full text]
  • Corrupting the College Board
    n exchange for generous Chinese government funding, the College Board has given China strategic access to American K-12 education. Since at least 2003, the College Board has sponsored Confucius Institutes at K-12 Ischools, served as a recruiter for Chinese government programs, and helped the Chinese Communist Party design and gain control over American teacher train- ing programs. This report details the College Board’s corruption by the Chinese government and outlines key policy changes to protect and restore the integrity of the American Corrupting the education system. College Board Confucius Institutes and K-12 Education Rachelle Peterson, a senior research fellow at the National Association of Scholars, is also the author of Outsourced to China: Confucius Institutes and Soft Power in American Higher Education (2017). Rachelle Peterson September 2020 Corrupting the College Board Confucius Institutes and K-12 Education A report by the Cover Design by Chance Layton 420 Madison Avenue, 7th Floor Interior Design by Chance Layton New York, NY 10017 © 2020 National Association of Scholars Corrupting the College Board Confucius Institutes and K-12 Education Authored by Rachelle Peterson Senior Research Fellow Introduction by Peter W. Wood President, National Association of Scholars Cover Design by Chance Layton Interior Design by Chance Layton © 2020 National Association of Scholars About the National Association of Scholars Mission The National Association of Scholars is an independent membership association of academics and others working to sustain the tradition of reasoned scholarship and civil debate in America’s colleges and univer- sities. We uphold the standards of a liberal arts education that fosters intellectual freedom, searches for the truth, and promotes virtuous citizenship.
    [Show full text]
  • Outsourced to China: Confucius Institutes and Soft Power in American Higher Education | 9
    OUTSOURCED TO CHINA Confucius Institutes and Soft Power in American Higher Education A REPORT BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOLARS April 2017 RACHELLE PETERSON © 2017 National Association of Scholars ISBN: 978-0-9986635-1-7 Cover image: XiXinXing/Shutterstock, edited ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOLARS Mission The National Association of Scholars is an independent membership association of academics and others working to sustain the tradition of reasoned scholarship and civil debate in America’s colleges and universities. We uphold the standards of a liberal arts education that fosters intellectual freedom, searches for the truth, and promotes virtuous citizenship. What We Do We publish a quarterly journal, Academic Questions, which examines the intellectual controversies and the institutional challenges of contemporary higher education. We publish studies of current higher education policy and practice with the aim of drawing attention to weaknesses and stimulating improvements. Our website presents a daily stream of educated opinion and commentary on higher education and archives our research reports for public access. NAS engages in public advocacy to pass legislation to advance the cause of higher education reform. We file friend-of-the-court briefs in legal cases, defending freedom of speech and conscience, and the civil rights of educators and students. We give testimony before congressional and legislative committees and engage public support for worthy reforms. NAS holds national and regional meetings that focus on important issues and public policy debates in higher education today. Membership NAS membership is open to all who share a commitment to its core principles of fostering intellectual freedom and academic excellence in American higher education.
    [Show full text]
  • Confucius Institute and China's Cultural Diplomacy
    Australian Journal of Science and Technology ISSN Number (2208-6404) Volume 2; Issue 3; September 2018 Original Article Confucius institute and china’s cultural diplomacy: A case study of confucius institutes in Malaysia Xia Nan1*, Yang Yanan2 1School of International Education, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, China, 2Department of Social Science, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, China ABSTRACT On November 21, 2004, the first Confucius Institute was set up in Seoul, South Korea. With the rapid growth of the economy and the enhancement of comprehensive national strength of China, Confucius Institute has enjoyed substantial growth. Until 2017, China has set up over 525 Confucius Institutes and 1113 Confucius Classrooms around the world to promote its language and culture. In Malaysia, the first Confucius Institute was set up in University of Malaya. The development of Confucius Institute raises a series of basic questions. First, what are Confucius Institutes and what are their purpose and function? Second are Confucius Institutes tools of China’s cultural diplomacy? Thus, this study seeks to answer these questions. To aim these questions, it describes the most common concepts which are related with Confucius Institutes including soft power, public, and cultural diplomacy. Furthermore, it investigates the Confucius Institutes using Confucius Institutes in Malaysia as a case study. This paper concludes that the set and propaganda of Confucius Institute in line with China and Malaysia interests, and it promotes the mutual understanding and friendship of the two countries. The objective of Confucius Institutes is to promote the communication of multicultural. Confucius Institutes are the tools of China’s cultural diplomacy rather than the conspiracy.
    [Show full text]
  • China's Rise As a Geoeconomic Influencer: Four European
    ASIA PROGRAM CHINA’S RISE AS A GEOECONOMIC INFLUENCER: FOUR EUROPEAN CASE STUDIES BY PHILIPPE LE CORRE NON-RESIDENT SENIOR FELLOW IN THE EUROPE AND ASIA PROGRAMS, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE NOVEMBER 2018 ASIA FOCUS #93 ASIA FOCUS #93 – ASIA PROGRAM / November 2018 ver the past decade, China has become central to the world economy. Building on its economic successes, it is becoming increasingly central in world politics. O China is also now more ambitious, aiming to establish itself as a regional as well as a global power. In his October 2017 report to the Chinese Communist Party’s 19th Congress, President Xi Jinping stated that by 2050, China will have “become a global leader in terms of composite national strength and international influence.”1 Despite a growing internal debate about the country’s international positioning in the context of taking a confrontational tone with the United States, Xi believes he has the power to realize these ambitions. In June 2018, he chaired an important foreign policy meeting in Beijing, which reaffirmed the notions of a foreign policy with Chinese characteristics,2 “diplomacy of socialism with Chinese characteristics,”3 and redefined the concept of a “global community of common destiny.”4 China’s rise has been driven by economic development, starting with the launch almost exactly forty years ago of Deng Xiaoping’s Open-Door policy, which made China the economicOn the world powerhouse stage, China it is hastoday―not become just a strong domestically, player in but such in mostinstitutions parts of as the the world. United Nations and the World Bank.
    [Show full text]
  • First H Anban V Isit Founding Director General of China's Confucius
    Confucius CELEBRATE THE FIRST CONFUCIUS DAY, Institute. 27 SEPTEMBER 2014 Newsletter December 2014 I Number 14 I First Hanban Visit Hanban First Founding Director General of China’s Confucius Institutes Honoured by the (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/honorary-degree- University of Sheffield for-confucius-founder-1.415082) On 27 October 2014, at a special degree ceremony in Beijing, the University of Sheffield has awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters to Madame Xu Lin, the Director General of Hanban – the Office of Chinese Language Council International – and Chief Executive of the Confucius Institute Headquarters.. As a Chemist and Economist by training, Madame Xu Lin has successfully overseen the development of the concept of the Confucius Institute around the globe as a non-profit public institution affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. The idea being to promote and teach Chinese language and culture around the world. The first institute was opened in Seoul, South Korea, in 2004 and there are now over 480 Confucius Institutes in dozens of countries on six continents. Madam Xu, said “There are more than 10,000 teachers and volunteers in overseas Confucius Institutes. They are the living embodiment of China and Chinese culture.” She considered Sheffield University to be one of the best Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Keith Burnett and Madame Xu Lin in the world, and was pleased to share her graduation in Beijing with over 60 Chinese undergraduate and universities in the UK to host a Confucius Institute, and in 2010 was postgraduate from The University of Sheffield.
    [Show full text]
  • Chinese Public Diplomacy: the Rise of the Confucius Institute / Falk Hartig
    Chinese Public Diplomacy This book presents the first comprehensive analysis of Confucius Institutes (CIs), situating them as a tool of public diplomacy in the broader context of China’s foreign affairs. The study establishes the concept of public diplomacy as the theoretical framework for analysing CIs. By applying this frame to in- depth case studies of CIs in Europe and Oceania, it provides in-depth knowledge of the structure and organisation of CIs, their activities and audiences, as well as problems, chal- lenges and potentials. In addition to examining CIs as the most prominent and most controversial tool of China’s charm offensive, this book also explains what the structural configuration of these Institutes can tell us about China’s under- standing of and approaches towards public diplomacy. The study demonstrates that, in contrast to their international counterparts, CIs are normally organised as joint ventures between international and Chinese partners in the field of educa- tion or cultural exchange. From this unique setting a more fundamental observa- tion can be made, namely China’s willingness to engage and cooperate with foreigners in the context of public diplomacy. Overall, the author argues that by utilising the current global fascination with Chinese language and culture, the Chinese government has found interested and willing international partners to co- finance the CIs and thus partially fund China’s international charm offensive. This book will be of much interest to students of public diplomacy, Chinese politics, foreign policy and international relations in general. Falk Hartig is a post-doctoral researcher at Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, and has a PhD in Media & Communication from Queensland Univer- sity of Technology, Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case of Confucius Institutes
    On Partnerships with Foreign Governments: The Case of Confucius Institutes This report was prepared by the Association’s Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure in June 2014. Globalization has brought new challenges for the protection of academic freedom and other faculty rights. In the operations of North American universities in other countries, administrators often refer to local customs, practices, and laws to justify practices that the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) would not tolerate on North American campuses. In 2009, our two organizations adopted a joint statement—On Conditions of Employment at Overseas Campuses—setting forth appropriate employment standards for overseas campuses of North American universities and stating our commitment to see that those standards are met. Globalization has also meant that university administrators have welcomed involvement of foreign governments, corporations, foundations, and donors on campuses in North America. These relationships have often been beneficial. But occasionally university administrations have entered into partnerships that sacrificed the integrity of the university and its academic staff. Exemplifying the latter are Confucius Institutes, now established at some ninety colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.1 Confucius Institutes function as an arm of the Chinese state and are allowed to ignore academic freedom. Their academic activities are under the supervision of Hanban, a Chinese state agency which is chaired by a member of the Politburo and the vice-premier of the People’s Republic of China. Most agreements establishing Confucius Institutes feature nondisclosure clauses and unacceptable concessions to the political aims and practices of the government of China.
    [Show full text]
  • Confucius Institutes in the US That Are Closing Rachelle Peterson, National Association of Scholars, [email protected] April 2021
    Confucius Institutes in the US that Are Closing Rachelle Peterson, National Association of Scholars, [email protected] April 2021 Date of Institution State Decision Stated Reason for Closing Source Other Background Info In April 2014, 108 faculty members signed a petition calling for the Confucius Institute to close. Hanban director-general Xu Lin challenged the university to maintain its The university said that offensive Confucius Institute, and a Chinese comments from Xu Lin, director- paper, the Jiefang Daily, praised Xu general of the Hanban, led the for her “toughness” and crowed university to close its Confucius that “Her attitude made the other Institute: An official "Statement on side anxious. The school quickly the Confucius Institute at the responded that it will continue to University of Chicago" said that properly manage the Confucius “recently published comments about Institute.” UChicago in an article about the https://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.co director-general of Hanban are https://news.uchicago.edu/article/2 m/2014/09/26/university-of- University September incompatible with a continued equal 014/09/25/statement-confucius- chicagos-relations-with-confucius- 1 of Chicago IL 2014 partnership.” institute-university-chicago institute-sour/?_r=0 Dean Susan Welch told Inside Higher Ed that "several of our goals are not consistent with those of the Office of Chinese Languages Council Penn State's decision came within a Pennsylvani International, known as the Hanban, https://www.insidehighered.com/qu week of the University of Chicago's a State September which provides support to Confucius icktakes/2014/10/01/another- decision to close its Confucius 2 University PA 2014 Institutes throughout the world.” confucius-institute-close Institute.
    [Show full text]