Another Confucius Institute likely in a major US university

As Confucius Institutes — nonprofit branches that fund Chinese language and culture learning — spread to universities around the world, Penn is reconsidering its 2009 decision to reject them.

CIs, which are affiliated with the Chinese government’s Ministry of Education, have garnered controversy since they began in 2004 over issues of academic freedom and the Chinese government’s involvement. Academic programs affiliated with CIs at Stanford University — which received $4 million from this fund — may not include discussion on issues such as Tibet. …

Over the past seven years, over 90 of these offices have been established in American universities and schools, including some of our most prestigious campuses. (The current list can be found beginning at the Confucius Institute section of the english.chinese.cn website and continuing for several pages.)

There doesn't seem to be much awareness of this issue among Americans at large outside of Chinese studies departments. Substantial numbers of faculty in those departments, many of whom are intimately acquainted with the Chinese government's ways, oppose hosting an "institute". But university officials, always in search of an extra dollar from any hand, usually opt in favor of accepting the Chinese government's money and downplay any concerns about propaganda and spying.

To date, no American university accepting a Confucius Institute has been required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. (This can be confirmed by searching the FARA foreign principals database for "China".)

Thanks for posting this extremely important article about Red China’s massive infilration/subversion/propaganda operations in the U.S.

They also have issues of “China Today” in free paperboxes in downtown DC. Aimed at the DC elite. Pure propaganda. Understand that the Russians are going to do something similar.

This needs to be spread around the internet to alert our FR friends as to what is happening right under our noses.

Thanks for your encouragement. A small number of Chinese studies faculty have been trying to work quietly through the mainstream media to raise awareness, but reporters (no doubt trying to be even-handed) often end up missing the main point, which is that letting a foreign country set up shop on your campus isn’t necessary to teach that country’s language well.

In the case of a national security language like Chinese, the consequences for the country should have been thought through first. You can bet Chinese universities would never be allowed to open US-funded institutes without everything being approved by the Central Government first.

Another factor is that many Chinese studies faculty worry about being banned from visiting China for being too outspoken.

Click the Pic Thank you, JoeProBono

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