Beijing-linked institutes at British universities are stripped of cash

by · Mail Online

A slew of institutes at British universities have been stripped of UK government funding amid worries they are used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for propaganda.

There are 30 Confucius Institutes active across UK campuses, which were set up to deliver culture and language classes to international students.

But the bodies have been accused of acting as a front for the CCP to clamp down on dissidents and those with critical views of Beijing.

Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) said last year that Confucius Institutes are like 'Trojan horses' and are 'run and part-funded by the Hanban, an educational organisation that is ultimately controlled by the CCP's Central Propaganda Department'. 

It found that the organisations are used by the Chinese Government to steer universities from engaging in debates over contentious issues like Tibet and Taiwan.

Confucius Institutes (one pictured at Troy University in the US) have been accused of acting as a front for the Chinese Communist Party to clamp down on dissidents and those with critical views of Beijing
There are worries they are used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for propaganda. Pictured: A student of University College Dublin works at a Confucius Institute
A similar blowback over Confucius Institutes at US universities and colleges has caused the number to plummet from about 100 in 2019 to fewer than five today after the White House raised over 'undue influence'

Rishi Sunak previously pledged to ban them altogether, but watered down the proposal and promised to withdraw their funding after concluding that doing so would be 'disproportionate'.

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A Department for Education (DfE) source told the Telegraph that Confucius Institutes will no longer be subsidised or receive funding from the UK Government. 

In 2022 the Daily Mail reported freedom of information requests showed that vice-chancellors at 17 universities have accepted at least £24million from Beijing to run the institute’s branches, which are shrouded in secrecy, with 12 refusing to regularly reveal their funding.

The China Research Group of MPs estimated the true funding over the past decade to be £28million. 

A similar blowback over Confucius Institutes at US universities and colleges has caused the number to plummet from about 100 in 2019 to fewer than five today after the White House raised over 'undue influence'.

In September the University of Cambridge (pictured) became the latest institution to host a private visit from the Chinese ambassador, during which he told Chinese students to 'serve the motherland' 

But the row in the UK has been made more complicated due to the high dependence UK universities have on lucrative Chinese students, who make up the second-largest intake among international students.

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Experts have previously warned that the situation has made some higher education leaders willing to stifle debate on China-critical subjects, and treat Chinese students differently than students from other nations.

The Chinese embassy has persistently messaged some universities in recent months asking to arrange meetings with their Chinese student bodies on campus, according to the Telegraph.

And in September the University of Cambridge became the latest institution to host a private visit from the Chinese ambassador, during which he told Chinese students to 'serve the motherland'.

Zheng Zeguang also 'briefed the students on the achievements of China's development [and] inspired them to love the country', according to the Chinese government website. 

Lord Patten, the chancellor of Oxford University and the last governor of Hong Kong, said he was happy if they were just teaching Chinese, but he thinks it is difficult to guarantee that

Lord Patten, the chancellor of Oxford University and the last governor of Hong Kong, told the Telegraph he was happy if they were just teaching Chinese, but he thinks it is difficult to guarantee that. 

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He said he was happy for them to teach Chinese civilization but not at the expense of anybody trying to manipulate other aspects of the curriculum.

A Government spokesperson said in a statement: 'The ongoing audit process on the UK's relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor will improve the UK's capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses.

'Like any international body operating in the UK, Confucius Institutes need to operate transparently and within the law, and with a full commitment to our values of openness and freedom of expression.

'The Education Secretary has also made clear that international students will always be welcome, but we are also clear that migration needs to be managed carefully. We welcome international partnerships, including with China, where they add to the academic richness of our universities.'