April 15, 2019
Confucious Institutes in the United States: Selected Issues
The People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s Confucius
that Confucius Institutes are “an important part of China’s
Institutes, which offer Chinese language classes in
overseas propaganda setup,” as evidence that they promote
universities and other academic institutions around the
PRC policy positions in the classroom. Other observers
world, have been the subject of controversy since appearing
state that China’s use of the term “propaganda” does not
on U.S. campuses in 2005, particularly for their perceived
connote proselytizing, and that although Confucius
effects on academic freedom and lack of transparency.
Institutes aim to help soften China’s international image,
They have attracted further attention in recent years as
they play a relatively passive role in China’s public
some Members of Congress and others have alleged that
diplomacy efforts.
they may play a role in China’s efforts to influence public
opinion abroad, recruit “influence agents” on U.S.
Background
campuses, and engage in cyber espionage and intellectual
The first Confucius Institute opened in 2004 in Seoul, South
property theft. PRC officials and scholars deny such
Korea, followed by one at the University of Maryland.
charges, and suggest that the Institutes have been become
Today, the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing, also
victims of a U.S. “Cold War mentality” and “cultural
known as the Chinese Language Council International or
containment” of China.
Hanban (汉办), oversees 525 Confucius Institutes reaching
1.7 million students in 146 countries and regions. Hanban
Some raise additional concerns, which are discussed at
reportedly has spent over $158 million in the United States,
length in other studies. These include the lack of PRC
establishing Confucius Institutes in approximately 100 U.S.
reciprocity toward U.S. educational efforts in China, the
educational institutions. In addition, there are over 1,000
improper use of U.S. Exchange Visitor (J-1) visas for
Confucius Classrooms based in primary and secondary
Institute instructors in some cases, and possible incomplete
schools worldwide, including 519 in the United States.
reporting by U.S. universities to the Department of
Education (DOE) regarding funds received from China for
The Confucius Institutes are patterned after other national
the establishment and operation of Confucius Institutes.
language and cultural programs, such as France’s Alliance
Francaise, Germany’s Goethe Institute, the U.K.’s British
Other Reports and Information Sources
Council, and Spain’s Instituto Cervantes. Although Hanban
describes itself as a non-governmental organization
Human Rights Watch, “Resisting Chinese Government
affiliated with the PRC Ministry of Education, many
Efforts to Undermine Academic Freedom Abroad: A Code
experts say that Confucius Institutes are closely tied to the
of Conduct for Col eges, Universities, and Academic
Chinese government and exercise less autonomy than their
Institutions Worldwide,” March 2019.
European counterparts. Furthermore, Confucius Institutes
Government Accountability Office, GAO-19-278,
and Classrooms operate mostly within foreign universities
“Agreements Establishing Confucius Institutes at U.S.
and schools, while their European counterparts are not
Universities Are Similar, but Institute Operations Vary,”
situated within foreign educational institutions.
Released February 27, 2019.
U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations,
Nearly all Confucius Institutes focus instruction on Chinese
“China’s Impact on the U.S. Education System,” February
language at the introductory level. U.S. Confucius Institutes
2019.
generally offer non-credit courses to the public for a fee. In
a minority of cases, they offer classes to enrolled students
Rachelle Peterson, National Association of Scholars,
“Outsourced to China: Confucius Institutes and Soft Power
for credit, or Institute instructors teach credit courses in
in American Higher Education,” April 2017.
academic departments. Confucius Institutes also sponsor
programs for foreign students and scholars to study Chinese
Hanban: http://english.hanban.org/node_10971.htm.
language in the PRC, and they serve as platforms for
academic collaboration between Chinese and foreign
U.S. supporters of the Confucius Institutes assert that the
universities.
activities of the Institutes are narrow in scope and do not
impinge upon academic freedom in the broader university
Confucius Institute Agreements,
environment, and that the Institutes provide Chinese
Management, and Operation
language and cultural programs that benefit students,
To establish a Confucius Institute, U.S. and PRC partner
universities, and local communities. Some note that in some
educational institutions sign an implementation agreement,
U.S. colleges and universities, Chinese language instruction
and each side also signs an agreement with Hanban. The
is only available through the Confucius Institute.
agreements and the Confucius Institute Constitution
together govern Institute activities. They reportedly allow
Some analysts point to a 2009 quote by Li Changchun, a
for some flexibility and variation regarding the operation of
former Chinese Communist Party senior official, stating
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Confucious Institutes in the United States: Selected Issues
individual Institutes. Some agreements reportedly are
differing priorities between school administrators and
accessible online while others are available upon request.
faculty regarding the Institutes.
Some have confidentiality clauses and, in some cases, U.S.
host schools reportedly have resisted sharing them.
Some studies provide examples of Confucius Institute
Board members or PRC officials directly or indirectly
Confucius Institutes are overseen by a Board of Directors,
pressuring faculty or administrators at U.S. and Canadian
usually made up of around eight people, with the top
universities that host Confucius Institutes to avoid making
positions filled by chancellors, deans, or scholars in Asian
statements or holding events on topics that PRC officials
or Chinese studies from the U.S. institution, along with
consider politically sensitive. Other reports suggest that
administrators and faculty from the Chinese partner school.
there have been few instances of Confucius Institutes
In many cases, a U.S. director administers the CI, and in
overtly attempting to interfere in academic and extra-
some cases, U.S. and PRC co-directors administer the
curricular activities and speech at U.S. host universities. At
Institute. The U.S. director often is a Chinese-speaking
least three U.S. universities with Confucius Institutes have
school administrator or faculty member.
accepted visits by the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the
Dalai Lama. In 2010, Hanban reportedly suggested that, as
Some provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws of the
part of its agreement to establish a Confucius Institute and
Confucius Institutes have raised controversy. Chapter 1,
endow a professorship at Stanford, the endowed professor
Article 6 states that Confucius Institutes shall abide by the
could not discuss sensitive issues such as Tibet. Stanford
laws of the countries in which they are located and respect
refused to agree to the request, and Hanban did not insist on
local educational traditions, and also that they shall not
it. In 2010, PRC consular officials tried but failed to prevent
contravene PRC laws. Chapter 7, Article 36 states that
a Taiwanese independence advocate from speaking at the
Hanban may pursue legal action or impose penalties for
University of Oregon, which hosted a Confucius Institute.
violations of implementation agreements or the
Constitution, including any violation that “damages or
In 2014, the American Association of University Professors
tarnishes the reputation of the Confucius Institutes.” Some
called on U.S. universities that host Confucius Institutes to
Confucius Institute directors have responded that PRC law
end their partnerships unless they met conditions related to
applies only to PRC board members and teachers, and in
managerial control, academic freedom, and transparency. In
limited ways. According to some reports, no U.S.
2018, the American Council on Education issued a list of
universities have been accused of violating Article 36, and
recommendations to U.S. host institutions “in light of
some U.S. schools have negotiated the right to terminate
heightened concerns” about the Institutes. Since 2014, over
their partnership if the Confucius Institute harms the
one dozen U.S. universities have closed their Confucius
reputation of the U.S. institution.
Institutes, due to concerns about academic freedom,
differences between the U.S. universities and the Institutes
Hanban typically provides start-up funding of $150,000 and
over missions and objectives, U.S. congressional pressure,
operating costs of $100,000-$200,000 per year for each
and fears of losing Department of Defense funding for other
U.S. Confucius Institute, although some CIs have much
Chinese language programs.
larger budgets. These expenditures cover teachers’ salaries,
books, computer hardware and software, scholarships, and
Congressional Actions
other related expenses. U.S. partners provide matching
P.L. 115-232, the National Defense Authorization Act
contributions, generally in-kind, including support from
for FY2019, Section 109 prohibits the use of
private sources. These contributions generally consist of
Department of Defense funds for Chinese language
classroom and office space, furnishings, computers,
instruction provided by a Confucius Institute or to
program staff, and faculty time. In addition to classroom
support a Chinese language program at an institution of
instruction, the Institutes maintain reading rooms
higher education that hosts a Confucius Institute.
containing PRC publications and often work with university
departments to co-sponsor cultural and performing arts
S. 480 and H.R. 1811 (116th Congress) would, among
events, academic seminars, and conferences focused on
other provisions, require Confucius Institutes to register
doing business in China.
under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22
Controversies
U.S.C. 612).
Some experts contend that Hanban has an incentive to
S. 939, CONFUCIUS Act (116th Congress) would prohibit
avoid controversy, and has learned that a heavy-handed
some U.S. DOE funds to a U.S. institution of higher
approach often backfires. According to some reports,
education that hosts a Confucius Institute unless it ensures
Confucius Institutes neither disseminate propaganda nor
that Confucius Institute agreements include provisions that
broach topics that are politically sensitive in China. Critics
protect academic freedom, prohibit the application of
maintain that no topics should be suppressed anywhere on
foreign law at the U.S. institution, and grant full managerial
U.S. university campuses. Furthermore, they argue,
authority of the Institute to the U.S. institution.
Confucius Institutes exert influence in U.S. universities
through their interpersonal relations, involvement in China-
related programs, and ties to educational and research
Thomas Lum, Specialist in Asian Affairs
opportunities in China. Other concerns include the teaching
IF11180
abilities of instructors from China, tensions with existing
Chinese language programs in academic departments, and
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Confucious Institutes in the United States: Selected Issues
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