FUKUOKA – In April 2010, there was a over the Confucius Institute at Osaka Sangyo University in Osaka. During meetings discussing a proposed relocation of the institute between campuses, the director of the University Affairs Board denounced it as a “cultural spy agency” for China and “a ‘soft landing’ for China’s expansionism.” Chinese overseas students at the university reacted angrily to his accusations; two months later he was asked to resign, and the university published a letter officially apologizing for his “inappropriate and insensitive remarks.”
This incident was recently covered in a series of articles by the Sankei News, which critically examined the organizational impact of Confucius institutes based in , American and Australian universities. Such incidents highlight some difficult decisions for educational institutions in Japan and elsewhere engaging with Chinese soft- power initiatives.
For their supporters, Confucius Institutes are educational ” which aim to promote Chinese language and culture in foreign countries” and to encourage international understanding and exchange. However, for their critics, they are — alongside research funding tie-ups and investment from China — Trojan horses for Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence in universities.
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