To investigate the criminal conduct of all institutions, organizations, and individuals involved in the persecution of Falun Gong; to bring such investigations, no matter how long it takes, no matter how far and deep we have to search, to full closure; to exercise fundamental principles of humanity; and to restore and uphold justice in society.

Investigative Report on the Confucius Institute as the Vehicle of Ideological Infiltration for the Chinese Communist Party

June 2, 2014
A4 format download

Preface
I. Confucius Institute is an important tool for the CCP to spread its socialist culture
II. Confucius Institute’s link to propaganda and United Front, as seen from its organizational structure
The organizational structure of the Confucius Institute
Board members of the Confucius Institute headquarter
CCP officials frequently visit the Confucius Institutes when traveling abroad
III. CCP invests heavily in Confucius Institutes
CCP pays overseas universities to establish Confucius Institutes
Confucius Institute headquarter sets and wins own bid to build new website
IV. Confucius Institute staff lack proper training, while under the CCP’s strict surveillance
CCP’s control of Confucius Institute teachers is not transparent to foreign academies
CCP’s training of Confucius Institute teachers is merely going through the motions
Most Chinese teachers dispatched to the United States have majored in English at Chinese academics, thus have no experience in teaching Chinese
Plagiarism on Confucius Institute’s old website reveals personnel’s low integrity
V. Examples of the Chinese government using Confucius Institutes to spread communist propaganda
The first Confucius Institute, established in South Korea, claims to have no intention to teach Confucianism
Confucius Institute at Univ. of Maryland promotes false appearance of religious freedom in Tibet
Director of Confucius Institute at Kennesaw State University: “Confucius is merely a name”
A Confucius Institution in Canada asks students to protest local TV station for reporting on Tibet
Director of the Confucius Institute in Russia repeats CCP’s slander of Falun Gong
The Confucius Institute in Austria promotes Marxism
Fellow of the Socialism Institute presides over “Chinese Classical Literature Recitation”
Singing “Red Songs” at Confucius Institute conference in Beijing
Conclusion
References

 

Preface

Confucius is a representative figure of traditional Chinese culture. The moral values he advocated, and the belief in heaven above, have been passed down through the generations for more than 2,000 years. After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seized power in China, the regime has been defaming and denouncing Confucius and Confucian Thought. As a result, China’s ancient traditions have been completely ruined and are absent in today’s China. However, since 2004, contrary to its previous denouncement and acts, the Chinese communist regime invested large amounts of money to set up Confucius Institutes at colleges and universities, as well as Confucius Classrooms in high schools, middle schools and elementary schools in foreign countries. By the end of 2013, 440 Confucius Institutes and 646 Confucius Classrooms were set up in over 120 countries, with the number of registered students reaching as many as 850,000[1].

The CCP has full control over Confucius Institutes’ teaching content, hiring and training of staff, budgetary investment, organizational structure and activities. This report provides evidence in the aforementioned areas to prove that the CCP’s real purpose for establishing Confucius Institutes in foreign countries is to carry out communist ideological infiltration as part of its United Front strategy, all done in the name of teaching Chinese language.

I. Confucius Institute is an important tool for the CCP to spread its socialist culture

The “culture” the Chinese communist regime has been advocating is the communist ideology, with atheism as its core principle. Starting from the beginning of the 21st century, the CCP has stipulated the importance of “improving the soft power of culture.” In reality, the regime is trying to infiltrate the international community with its socialist ideology and values. The concept of “soft power” was first coined and introduced in 1990 by Harvard professor Joseph S. Nye. Soft power lies in the ability to attract and persuade. Whereas hard power—the ability to coerce—grows out of a country's military or economic might, soft power arises from the attractiveness of a country's culture, political ideals, and policies[2].

However, the CCP’s definition of soft power is completely different from the commonly recognized concept of soft power in the contemporary international community. The nature of the CCP’s soft power is determined by its core ideology of (totalitarian) socialism. For the CCP, soft power basically refers to its brainwashing power inside China and its infiltrative power outside China. The Confucius Institute is the CCP’s United Front organization’s new soft power weapon of foreign affairs. It’s an all important tool for CCP to spread its core ideology and enhance its United Front setup.
Here are some quotes by CCP officials and mouthpiece medias about “soft power” and the positioning of the Confucius Institute.


“Make sure that all cultural battleground, cultural products, and cultural activities reflect and conform to the socialist core values and requirement.”  

Liu Yunshan, Minister of Propaganda, Sept. 7, 2010[3]


“Coordinate the efforts of overseas and domestic propaganda, further create a favorable international environment for us [CCP]. Overseas propaganda should be “comprehensive, multi-level and wide-ranging.” … We should do well in providing services and exercising control and management of foreign journalists; we should guide them to report China objectively and friendly. With regard to key issues that influence our sovereignty and safety, we should actively carry out international propaganda battles against issues such as Tibet, Xinjiang, Taiwan, Human Rights, and Falun Gong. Our strategy is to proactively take our culture abroad… We should do well in establishing and operating overseas cultural centers and Confucius Institutes.”

Liu Yunshan, Minister of Propaganda, January 2010[4]


“Take the year 2010 as an example, we (the CCP) sent 940 art and cultural groups to perform in foreign countries, totaling 93,700 performances… Compared to 2009, the number of performances in foreign countries increased by 25.4 percent. If we organize government-sponsored activities, foreigners might be on high alert… Many of our cultural products have an intense ideological overtone… The Confucius Institute is semi-official… It will be useful to expand China’s influence abroad.”

Xu Shipi, a scholar who published an article on www.china.com.cn, March 2012[5]


“When studying Confucian Thought, we must stick to materialism and make the past serve the present. Discard the dross and select the essentials; discard the false and retain the truth. We must consider the current trend and deepen our study, so that Confucian Thought will play its best and active role in the new era.

Xi Jinping, CCP General Secretary, at Confucius Research Institute in Shandong Province, Nov. 26, 2013[6]


“Only by blending the traditional culture into the socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, can we realize the China Dream with strong cultural power.”

Yan Xiaofeng, researcher at the Institute of Marxism, National Defense University, Dec. 22, 2013[7]


“We must strive to spread contemporary Chinese values [socialist ideology], in order to improve our nation’s cultural soft power.” 

Xi Jinping, CCP General Secretary, Dec. 20, 2013[8]


“Amidst the ever more frequent confrontation and blending of different ideas and cultures worldwide, whoever occupies the highest point of cultural development will have in possession strong cultural soft power, and will be a proactive player in the intense international competition... The hostile forces in the international community are hastening their steps to westernize and separate our country. The ideology and culture fronts have been their key areas of infiltration. We must deeply understand the seriousness and complexity of ideological struggles, and take powerful measures to cope with them.” 

Hu Jintao, CCP General Secretary, Jan. 1, 2012[9]


“The Confucius Institute is an appealing brand for our [CCP] culture to go abroad. It has made an important contribution to improve our soft power. The ’Confucius’ brand has a natural affinity. Using the execuse of teaching Chinese language, everything looks reasonable and logical.”

Li Changchun, member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, at Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing, November 2011[10]


Every year since 2004, Li Changchun “gave numerous important instructions to the Confucius Institute and visited Confucius Institutes in 15 countries when traveling abroad. He has established a favorable image as a Chinese leader in the international society. The series of important instructions by Li Changchun on the Confucius Institute, are theoretical treasures of the Confucius Institute undertaking. We studied them in the past, and we must continue to study them now and in the future.” 

Xu Lin,  Director of Hanban (Chinese National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language), Hanban is the Headquarter of the Confucius Institute, November 2011[11]


“The international spreading of culture must shoulder the tasks of improving our nation’s soft power and creating a better image... The cross-media spreading model for our culture has not only increased our influence internationally, but also broadened our strategic interests... We should quietly plant the seeds of our ideology in foreign countries, we must make good use of our traditional culture to package our socialist ideology.” 

Wang Gengnian, Director of China Radio International, 2011[12]


“Expanding education to foreign countries has become a major aspect of our country’s development, a major strategy and component in foreign affairs strategy and foreign propaganda... Establishing Confucius Institutes is a strategic plan for increasing our soft power, and also an honorable mission the Central Government bestowed upon us (the Ministry of Education).” 

Hao Ping, Vice Minister of Education, 2010[13]

Particularly noteworthy here is the CCP’s definition of “overseas hostile forces,” which include Tibetan separatist, East Turkistan/Xinjiang, Falun Gong practitioners, and human rights activists. These groups are considered threats to the CCP in the fields of political policies, human rights, minority issues, and religion. Therefore, when the Minstry of Education expands the education to foreign countries, its goal is to resist westernization and separation. 


“Culture is one important component of our nation’s soft power. It plays an important role in strengthening our nations’s comprehensive power, and thus has an influence on the overall development of our Party and the country.”

Jia Qinglin, member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee and Chairman of the National Political Consultative Conference, July 24, 2007[14]


“The Confucius Institute opened up a new channel for China’s foreign relations. It has made significant contributions to improve China’s soft power.”

Special Topic Conference of National Political Consultative Conference, Aug. 26, 2011[15]


“Chinese culture is greatly promoted in foreign countries. As an important vehicle, the Confucius Institute will spread Chinese culture to all corners of the world. It has improved China’s soft power.”

Zhu Hai’an, Chairman of Association for China’s Peaceful Unification, Belgium, March 2013[16]


“We require from you, Chinese residents, staff at Chinese enterprises, faculty of Confucius Institute, and Chinese students in Kirghizstan, that no matter what work you do in a foreign country, keep China’s peaceful unification in your mind.”

Association for China’s Peaceful Unification, Kirghizstan, Jan. 25, 2012[17]

II. Confucius Institute’s link to propaganda and United Front, as seen from its organizational structure

The organizational structure of the Confucius Institute

The Chinese Language Council International (CLCI) is composed of officials from 12 ministries or departments. They are, the State Council, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Radio, State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (China Radio International), Press and Publication Administration, the State Council Information Office, and State Language Commission.

The director of CLCI is Chen Zhili. The CLCI, often referred to as Hanban, is affiliated with the Ministry of Education[18].

After the first Confucius Institute was launched in 2004, Hanban became the headquarter of the Confucius Institute. Overseas Confucius Institutes are considered branches of the CCP controlled Hanban, a governmental organization.

According to the Confucius Institute Development Plan (2012-2020), the Board of the Confucius Institute, at its Headquarters, governed by the Council, is the highest in command in the organization of Confucius Institutes. It is responsible for stipulating and revising the Confucius Institute’s constitution, reviewing the development strategy and plan for Confucius Institutes around the globe, and researching important issues related to the establishment and development of Confucius Institutes[19].”

Board members of the Confucius Institute headquarter

The Confucius Instititue’s board members are directly assigned by the CCP Central. From the members’ affiliation to various government or Party entities, it can be seen that the Confucius Institute has strong links to the CCP’s foreign propaganda and United Front organizations.

Chen Zhili, former Minister and Party Secretary of Ministry of Education[20], was appointed the first chairman of the board of the Confucius Institute in 2007[21].

Liu Yandong, former Party Secretary of the Central Institute of Socialism (1995-2003), Minister of United Front (2003-2007), Central Political Bureau member, Vice Premier (2013-)[22], has been chairman of the board of the Confucius Institute Headquarter since 2008[23].

Li Haifeng, Director and Party Secretary of Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council[24], has been vice chairman of the board of the Confucius Institute Headquarter since 2007[25].

Zhang Shaochun, Vice Minister and Deputy Party Secretary of the Ministry of Finance[26], has been vice chairman of the board of the Confucius Institute Headquarter of since 2007[27].

Xu Lin had worked at the Finance Division, Ministry of Education, and Chinese Consulate in Vancouver, Canada. Xu was appointed Director of Hanban in 2004. In 2007, Xu was appointed as the Director-General of the Confucius Institute Headquarter[28].

Ma Jianfei had worked at Beijing Language and Culture University between 1985 and 2004. Ma took the position of deputy director of Hanban in 2004. In 2007, he was appointed Vice Director-General of the Confucius Institute Headquarter.  In 2011, he took the post as Party Secretary of Hanban[29, 30].

In addition,  Milestones of Unified Front Work in 2011, compiled by a university in Northeastern China recorded activities of the Confucius Institute[30]. This is also an indication that the Confucius Institute is part of the Unified Front work.

CCP officials frequently visit the Confucius Institutes when traveling abroad

A report published on the CCP Organization Development Website, controlled by the CCP Central Propaganda Department, says: “By October 2011, CCP officials have attended more than a hundred activities organized by Confucius Institutes. All nine members of the Politburo Standing Committee have visited Confucius Institutes and provided guidance. Hu Jintao visited Confucius Institutes 16 times[31].”

The Confucius Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, was established in December 2005. On April 29, 2009, during his visit to Kenya, Hu Jintao met in the hotel with teachers and students of the Confucius Institute in Nairobi. At that time, the Confucius Institute had been established for four years with only 25 students, but equipped with four teachers, one of whom a Director from China, and another a Director from Kenya[32].

In January 2011, during his visit to the United States, Hu Jintao visited the Confucius Institute at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago[33].

On Nov. 17, 2009, Zhou Yongkang, then a CCP Central Committee Politburo Standing Committee member and the Secretary of the Political & Legal Affairs Committee, attended a Confucius Institute award ceremony at the University of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, together with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Next day, in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relationship, Zhou said, “China is willing to work together with Sudan, continue to promote the construction of the Confucius Institute at Khartoum University[34].”

In September 2010, Li Changchun visited Ireland to attend the 4th anniversary celebration of the Confucius Institute at the University of Dublin[35].

In October 2012, Li Changchun visited the Confucius Institute in Bangladesh[36].

III. CCP invests heavily in Confucius Institutes

According to the 2011 “Education For All” global monitoring report by United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the global average ratio of educational expenditure to GDP was 4.8% in 2008. The average ratio for developed countries was 5.2%, for developing countries it was 4.2%, and for United States it was 5.5%[37]. China's official data shows that from 2001 to 2011, Chinese educational expenditure to GDP ratio was less than 4%. The lowest amount was 2.79% in 2004[38], when the CCP started funding heavily to establish Confucius Institutes overseas. Why does the CCP provide free Chinese education for foreigners, but doesn’t have enough funding to improve education for Chinese people?


Figure 1: Public expenditure on education as percentage of GDP from year 2001 to 2011

CCP pays overseas universities to establish Confucius Institutes

Various reports have revealed that the CCP has made huge investments in the Confucius Institutes. Vice Minister of Finance, Zhang Shaochun, who has been the vice chairman of the board of the Confucius Institute Headquarter since 2007, has stated the importance of funding the Confucius Institutes.

For the establishment of each Confucius Institute, the CCP Headquarter provides $100,000 in start-up funding. During the year 2006, the CCP dispatched 300 teachers, with $13,000 per person in compensation. From 2004 to 2009, the CCP dispatched nearly 8,000 teachers to 68 countries. In 2009 alone, the CCP provided $145 million funding to Confucius Institutes[39].

A report on the Xi'an Jiaotong University website said that the CCP invested $167 million in 2010 to establish 353 Confucius Institute across 104 countries and regions. Xi'an Jiaotong University worked with two Confucius Institutes at overseas universities, one established in 2007 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the United States, another established in 2009 at the University of Liverpool in the U.K. The CCP grants more than $100,000 annually to each Confucius Institute[40].

In 2001, several professors at Columbia University, a U.S. Ivy League University, wrote the book "Tiananmen Documents" about June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square student massacre. The authors were consequently refused entry visas into China. In 2006, the CCP banned Columbia University’s Modern Tibetan Studies project from visiting Tibet. However, in 2010, in order to establish a Confucius Institute at Columbia University, the CCP offered Columbia University $1,000,000 funding over five years[41].

In July 2011, the CCP allocated 220,000 Australian dollars to the Department of Education, New South Wales, Australia, as funding to establish pilot Confucius Classrooms in primary and secondary schools[42]. However, on Oct. 13, NSW Greens MP Jamie Parker proposed a motion to the NSW Parliament to request the cancellation of Confucius classes funded by the CCP in NSW public schools. Parker said: “One of the many problems of the Confucius Institute is, where the fund is from. We fear its influence on the curriculum development. It’s important to ensure that education for the younger generation is independent of any buyers[43].”

A Bloomberg article reported in 2011: “Hanban, a government-affiliated group under the Chinese education ministry has spent at least $500 million since 2004 establishing 350 Confucius Institutes worldwide and about 75 in the U.S., four times the number in any other country, according to its annual reports and website.[44]”

In 2010, the CCP allocated more than 4 million dollars funding to Africa to establish 21 Confucius Institutes and sent 102 teachers to 23 Confucius Institutes[45].

Confucius Institute headquarter sets and wins own bid to build new website

In December 2009, for the purpose of creating a new website, the Confucius Institute Headquarter collected lots of money for themselves through the bidding process.

On Dec. 15, 2009, the Ministry of Finance website released the “Confucius Institute website operation services bid announcement.” Tender No.: CEIECZB01-09JX033, bid amount: 35.2 million Chinese yuan (US$5.6 million). The winner was the Hanban affiliated Wuzhou Hanfeng Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. This organization was established on Sept. 9, 2009, with registered capital of 6 million yuan. Its enterprise legal person was Wang Yongli, the deputy director of Hanban[46]. The registered address, listed as 2nd Floor, Room 225, First Teaching Zone, 15 College Road, Haidian District, was a building in Beijing housing the Language and Culture University. Its registration documents state they are directly under Hanban administration, and specialize in the promotion of Chinese culture, industry and technology services internationally[47],[48].

IV. Confucius Institute staff lack proper training, while under the CCP’s strict surveillance

CCP’s control of Confucius Institute teachers is not transparent to foreign academies

The Chinese teachers, who have been examined, affirmed and closely supervised by the CCP’s specialized agencies, are sent around the world. Under the circumstances of having not been able to meet the local standards of teachers’ qualification, in the classrooms of overseas primary and secondary schools and institutions of higher learning, they come into direct contact with local students. Regarding these teachers’ appointment, how much authority over removal and supervision do the foreign institutions have? From the public documents concerning Confucius Institutes that were investigated by our organization, we did not find any relevant information. However, the CCP requires the teachers in overseas Confucius Institutes to accept the CCP officials’ “inspection, surveillance and supervision” and it expressly stipulates that they “shall not participate in Falun Gong activities.”

On May 1, 2006, Hanban began to implement the notice “Volunteer Chinese Teachers’ Work Management Approach.” Chapter VIII stipulates that the management approach regarding “religion and faith and the living environments of the overseas teachers,” all provincial and municipal education departments (and commissions), and the institutions directly under them, must assign a fulltime “teacher manager” or organize “work inspection group” to visit the teachers and conduct “inspection and supervision,” or ask the local consulates to send people to manage them. Accommodation, transportation, communication and entertainment expenses of the managing teachers, work inspection groups, and consulate personnel are paid by Hanban[49].

In 2007, Hanban’s website listed five “basic requirements for volunteer Chinese teachers,” among which the third one stipulated that Chinese teachers should have “no record of having participated in the Falun Gong organization[50].”
According to Hanban’s website, Confucius Institute Chinese teachers’ foreign assignment application process requires the teachers being asked repeatedly to declare themselves not to be Falun Gong practitioners or not to have any involvement in the activities of Falun Gong[51]. For instance, the “I Declare” section of “the Volunteer Chinese Teacher General Information Verification Form” includes: “I have not participated in Falun Gong and any xx organizations[52]”. Article 5 of “Volunteer Obligations” of “The Volunteer Chinese Teacher Foreign Teaching Assignment Agreement” stipulates that volunteer teachers should “take the initiative to accept the guidance and assistance of the Chinese consulates in foreign countries;” and Article 6 stipulates that volunteer teachers should “not participate in Falun Gong[53].”

The degree of transparency of such provisions concerning Confucius Institute teachers is very low to foreign institutions of higher learning. This is a typical case that reflects the foreign universities’ passive position. A former teacher at the Confucius Institute of McMaster University in Canada resigned in 2011, sued McMaster University at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario for violating her freedom of freely expressing her political and religious beliefs, and applied for refugee status to the government of Canada. The teacher pointed out that in the contract she signed with the Confucius Institute, there were provisions prohibiting her from practicing Falun Gong, and McMaster University had taken a position to “legitimize” such discrimination. In February 2011, McMaster University said in a statement: “Concerns were raised that the hiring decisions in China did not reflect the normal hiring practices of the university. Numerous discussions were held with [Confucius] officials to consider possible solutions but a satisfactory resolution could not be found.” Eventually, in July of the same year, McMaster University decided to not renew its five-year contract with the Confucius Institute after its expiration. As a result, the Confucius Institute at McMaster University closed its doors[54].

Since the exposure of such incidents caused repercussions in the international community, the CCP modified the Confucius Institute teachers’ agreements to remove the term “Falun Gong.” However, the wordings of “[teachers] are prohibited from participating in ‘illegal organizations’ [as defined by the CCP] still remains. Furthermore, the newly added “confidentiality clause” stipulates that, “Party B [the teacher] promises to undertake confidentiality obligations regarding the relevant contents and provisions of this agreement[55].”

CCP’s training of Confucius Institute teachers is merely going through the motions

After undergoing the political vetting process, qualified teachers have to receive training from Hanban before going abroad, including: 1) training in basic teaching skills; 2) “national conditions” training, which is the study of the CCP’s regulations, policies, propaganda, etc.; 3) “talent” training, including things from the surface layer of the Chinese culture, such as tying Chinese knots, paper cutting, calligraphy, the art of tea-making and other things; 4) “etiquette” training, such as how to be more polite and respectful towards others in foreign countries[56].

Most Chinese teachers dispatched to the United States have majored in English at Chinese academics, thus have no experience in teaching Chinese

In 2010, a Confucius Institute in the United States conducted an online survey of 111 U.S.-based Chinese language teachers. The survey revealed: “The majority of people participating in this survey are 26-35 year-old female teachers. The vast majority of them were English majors; only four majored in the Chinese language and literature studies; and only two majored in international Chinese language teaching in university. Only a handful of people have received professional training in international Chinese language education, and only a few people have some international experience in teaching Chinese. Approximately 24% of the teachers have more than one year of experience teaching Chinese[57].”

Plagiarism on Confucius Institute’s old website reveals personnel’s low integrity

In July 2007, the private website ChinaExpat.com, which had been set up a short time prior, posted an article, accusing the Confucius Institute website of having plagiarized its articles. The post said: “The Beijing-based institute with millions of dollars of resources has been taking articles from ChinaExpat.com… They have been taking original writings in its entirety and passing it off as their own original content. In total more than four dozen [!] of our articles appear on their site and I could only find one time that they gave us credit… The Confucius Institute Online should represent the proud tradition of an ancient civilization, not the sordid underbelly of modern China. This is not simply a naïve university student plagiarizing paragraphs from a famous writer. Instead it is a major [organization] taking advantage of an up and coming website trying to promote a foreign culture[58].”

V. Examples of the Chinese government using Confucius Institutes to spread communist propaganda

The first Confucius Institute, established in South Korea, claims to have no intention to teach Confucianism

The first Confucius Institution in the world opened in Soul, South Korea in November 2004. The official from the International Chinese Language Council stated: “Confucius is well known and acknowledged worldwide. The purpose of the Confucius Institute is not to offer classes in studying Confucian ideology. It is to promote Chinese language under the name of Confucius. We will send teachers from China to the overseas Confucius Institutes[59].”

Confucius Institute at Univ. of Maryland promotes false appearance of religious freedom in Tibet

The Confucius Institute at the University of Maryland was set up in 2006 and was the first one in the United States. In April 2009, the Institute hosted an exhibition titled “The true pictures of Tibet.” The deputy ambassador of China, Xie Feng, stated at the opening ceremony that “Tibetans normal religious freedom and normal religious activities are protected by the government. The Chinese government has always been open and welcoming the Dalai Lama. But he must repent his errors completely, and fundamentally reverse his political view and actions[60].”

Director of Confucius Institute at Kennesaw State University: “Confucius is merely a name”

In December 2012, at the 5th annual Confucius Institute Conference, the director of the Confucius Institute at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, Jin Kehua, stated: “Confucius Institute is only a name. It is not focused on promoting Confucian ideology[61].”

A Confucius Institution in Canada asks students to protest local TV station for reporting on Tibet

Just prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there were multiple uprisings in Tibet. Beijing mobilized military troops to Tibet for the crackdown. A Canadian TV station caught the violent and bloody scenes of the crackdown on tape. The director of the Confucius Institute at Waterloo University, Li Yan, was a reporter for the CCP mouthpiece CCTV. Li used classroom time to promote the Chinese government’s propaganda of Tibet’s history and current situation. Li also rallied students to “unit and fight a war against Canadian media,” which led to a student protest against the TV station’s report about the bloody crackdown in Tibet. The TV station was forced to issue a public apology[62].  

Director of the Confucius Institute in Russia repeats CCP’s slander of Falun Gong

Nikolay Kukharenko is the director of Confucius Institute at the National Normal University in Blagoveshchensk in Russia. In 2010, on a newly established Russian language website, Kukharenko quoted the Chinese state-run media, which contained slanderous content against Falun Gong and the Epoch Times. In October 2013, Kukharenko’s article on the Russian website was quoted by the Chinese website run by the regime’s so-called “Anti-Cult Association[63].”

The Confucius Institute in Austria promotes Marxism

During the Chinese Forum summit meeting, hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University of Graz, Austria, Professor Anton Grabner Haider from the University of Graz gave a speech titled “Philosophy in Modern-Day China.”  He quoted from Marx in the opening speech, stating that he studied philosophy at the University of Bonn where Marx attended school[64].  (This professor may have been misled by the Confucius Institute, and his speech may have been used by Chinese media to mislead the Chinese people.)

Confucius Institute at Stockholm University blocked the university from inviting a visiting scholar who is a Falun Gong practitioner

Established in 2002, the Confucius Institute at Stockholm University was the first Confucius Institute in Europe and second one worldwide[65].  In 2006, the Asia Pacific Center of Stockholm University planed to invite Mr. Zhang Erping as a visiting scholar. Zhang has five advanced degrees including a Master’s degree from Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Due to Zhang’s volunteer work at the Falun Dafa Information Center in the United States, the Confucius Institute blocked the invitation from Stockholm University, saying Zhang was not a scholar[66].

The Confucius Institute in Israel obstructed arts exhibits depicting persecution of Falun Gong

In March 2008, students at Tel Aviv University in Israel planned to host the “Art of Truth, Compassion, Tolerance” exhibition from March 3 to 14. The exhibit consists of a collection of traditional, realistic paintings depicting Falun Gong practitionres and the persecution in China. The Chinese Consulate intervened by putting economic and political pressure on the university, including losing the Confucius Institute funding. The exhibit was forced to shut down two days after its opening. Later, the local court determined the order was due to the economic and political pressures from the Chinese Consulate. The court ordered Tel Aviv University to host the art exhibit for one week, and pay restitution of $10,000 to the organizers of the art exhibit[67].

Director of Confucius Institute in Thailand promotes the CCP’s history of usurping the power

On Oct. 1, 2009, the Confucius Institute at Burapha University in Thailand organized Chinese and Thai faculty members, students and volunteers to watch the “60th National Day Military Parade” of the People’s Republic of China. On Oct. 3, during the traditional Chinese Moon Festival, the director of the Confucius Institute, Ding Li, took the opportunity to promote a so-called “grand occasion and spectacle of a military parade during the National Day” and to advocate the so-called “Journey of development and growth” after the CCP seized power[68].

Fellow of the Socialism Institute presides over “Chinese Classical Literature Recitation”

In July 2013, the “Sixth International Chinese Classical Literature Recitation & Seminar” was held in Qufu City, Shandong Province. Yan Shiyuan, head of the United Front Work Department of Shandong’s Provincial CCP Committee and president of the Overseas Friendship Association, was the keynote speaker. Sun Jiye, fellow of the Shandong Socialism Institute, presided over the recitation[69]. How much can officials of the United Front, the Overseas Friendship Association, and the Institute of Socialism know about the essence of Chinese classical culture?

Singing “Red Songs” at Confucius Institute conference in Beijing

On Dec. 12, 2011, the “6th Confucius Institute Conference” held the “I Sing Beijing” concert at the Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts. The Minister of Propaganda, Li Changchun, attended the event, and “cordially shook hands and posed for photo ops” with visiting singers. The concert repertoire was filled with “red songs” for praising the CCP[70]. The “Ode of the Yellow River” from the 1930s came into existance during the early years of the CCP, when the Japanese invasion of China was going on. The CCP did not truly fight against the Japanese, but viewed the Nationalists, who were actively defending China, as enemies. The song was to incite people to fight against the Nationalists. The “Red Guard in Lake Hong” from the 1950s was a play euphemizing the 1930s civil war between the CCP and the Nationalists. The “White-Haired Girl,” a dance based on an altered folklore, was to incite hatred and violence. During the political chaos of “Singing the Red and Punishing the Black” instigated by disgraced former Chongqing Communist Party Secretary Bo Xilai in 2011, the Ministry of Culture hosted “White-Haired Girl” again to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party. It was not only performed in China, but also performed at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in September 2011[71].

Conclusion

Conficius Institutes are in fact overseas branches of the Chinese Communist Party School, under the control of CCP Central Committee level officials. Teachers who were politically screened, hastily trained, and closely monitored by the CCP are among many universities, high schools and elementary schools all over the world. Under the guise of teaching Chinese, they are in fact the propagation conduits to promote the Chinese communist culture. Their mission is to subtly influence public opinions and policies of the free world. The Confucius Institute’s role as an infiltrating tool for the CCP is now creating hightened alarm in the world. In December 2013, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) passed a resolution, calling all higher educational institutions in Canada to terminate cooperation with “Confucius Institutes that are funded and monitored by the Chinese government.” Mr. James Turk, the Executive Director of CAUT, stated: “Establishing Confucius Institutes in our campuses implied that we are allowing Chinese Communists to interfere in our teaching, including the course celebus and topics of discussion in the class. This is an invasion of our academic freedom[72].”

In April 2014, more than 100 professors from seven departments at the University of Chicago, including political science, history, English, humanities, comparative literature, statistics and theatric-media, signed a petition calling on the Council of the University Senate to vote to terminate the university’s contract with Hanban, the government entity that oversees the centers of Chinese language teaching and research[73].

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