Confucius Institutes at universities across England are under threat from new free speech rules, prompting urgent discussions between ministers, vice-chancellors, and regulators over the future of these China-backed language and culture centres.
Universities fear that regulations imposed by the Office for Students (OfS) this month will cause legal complications with Chinese partners, including the Chinese government, and could lead to some institutes closing. The new rules bar foreign governments from vetting staff employed at the institutes.
The 20 Confucius Institutes operating in England, including at the universities of Manchester, Coventry, and Liverpool, are partnerships between each university, a Chinese university, and a Chinese state arm that provides funding. They offer Mandarin classes and promote cultural events, but critics allege they act as a Trojan horse within the education system.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said the institutes are non-profit educational institutions that serve as a bridge for learning Chinese and understanding China, operating lawfully and transparently. The Department for Education stated it welcomes international partnerships but requires compliance with UK laws, leaving it to individual providers to assess whether arrangements restrict free speech.
The new guidance may force universities to rewrite agreements with the institutes or face sanctions. One critical group, UK-China Transparency, claims Chinese staff applying to work in the institutes have been asked to provide references to their 'political attitude' and be vetted by a committee of China's Communist party. The OfS has warned that any ideological test as a condition of employment would be unacceptable.
