Updated May 20, 2022
Confucius Institutes in the United States: Selected Issues
The People’s Republic of China (PRC or China)’s
Alliance Francaise, Germany’s Goethe Institute, the U.K.’s
Confucius Institutes offer instruction in Chinese language
British Council, and Spain’s Instituto Cervantes. Confucius
in universities around the world. The Institutes have been
Institutes exercise less autonomy from their home
the subject of controversy since appearing on U.S.
government than their European counterparts, however, and
university campuses in 2005, particularly for their
mostly are situated within foreign educational institutions,
perceived effects on academic freedom and for their lack of
while their foreign counterparts are not.
transparency. They have attracted further attention during
the past several years as the broader U.S.-China relationship
Other Reports and Information Sources
has deteriorated. Some Members of Congress and others
have alleged that they may play a role in China’s efforts to
Rachelle Peterson, National Association of Scholars,
“Outsourced to China: Confucius Institutes and Soft Power
influence public opinion abroad, recruit “influence agents”
in American Higher Education,” April 2017.
on U.S. campuses, and engage in cyber espionage and
intellectual property theft. PRC officials have denied such
U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations,
charges, and suggested that the Institutes have become
“China’s Impact on the U.S. Education System,” February
victims of a U.S. “Cold War mentality.” Supporters of the
2019.
Institutes have emphasized that they provide Chinese
Government Accountability Office, “Agreements
language and cultural programs that benefit students,
Establishing Confucius Institutes at U.S. Universities Are
universities, and surrounding communities, and that such
Similar, but Institute Operations Vary,” GAO-19-278,
offerings may not otherwise be available. Many U.S.
released February 27, 2019.
universities have terminated their contracts with Confucius
Human Rights Watch, “Resisting Chinese Government
Institutes in the past four years.
Efforts to Undermine Academic Freedom Abroad: A Code
Policy Developments
of Conduct for Col eges, Universities, and Academic
Institutions Worldwide,” March 2019.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for
FY2021 (P.L. 116-283, Section 1062) restricts Department
Confucius Institute U.S. Center (CIUS), at
of Defense (DOD) funding to institutions of higher
https://www.ciuscenter.org/.
education that host a Confucius Institute. The United States
Nearly all Confucius Institutes focus on Chinese language
Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 (H.R. 4521) would
instruction at the introductory level. U.S. Confucius
restrict funding from the National Science Foundation and
Institutes generally offer noncredit courses to the public for
other federal education funding to institutions of higher
a fee. In some cases, Institute instructors offer classes to
education that host a Confucius Institute, unless certain
enrolled students for academic credit, or teach credit
conditions are met (Sections 2525 and 6122). Such
courses in academic departments. The Institutes often work
conditions aim to ensure academic freedom and managerial
with university departments to co-sponsor Chinese cultural
control by the U.S. side, require transparency, and prohibit
events, academic seminars, and conferences focused on
the application of PRC law at U.S. institutions of higher
doing business in China. They also sponsor programs for
education.
U.S. students and scholars to study Chinese language in the
PRC, and serve as platforms for academic collaboration
In August 2020, the Trump Administration designated the
between U.S. and Chinese universities.
Confucius Institute U.S. Center (CIUS), which oversees
Confucius Institutes in the United States, as a “foreign
In 2020, the PRC government renamed the parent
mission” of the PRC. The designation requires CIUS to
organization of the Confucius Institutes, the Chinese
regularly file information about its operations with the
Language Council International (commonly referred to as
Department of State. CIUS is a PRC-funded, 501(c)(3)
Hanban), as the Center for Language Education and
nonprofit entity based in Washington, DC.
Cooperation. As part of the change, the PRC formed the
Chinese International Education Foundation, a Ministry of
History and Mission
Education-sponsored, nongovernmental charitable
The first Confucius Institute opened in 2004 in Seoul, South
organization comprised of universities and corporations, to
Korea, followed by one at the University of Maryland
provide funding to the Institutes.
(which closed in 2020). The PRC government created the
Confucius Institutes, which have operated in over 160
Confucius Institutes in the United States
countries, in part to help improve China’s international
The number of Confucius Institutes in the United States
image or reduce what PRC officials view as misconceptions
grew to 103 by 2017, mostly on university campuses, out of
about China. The Institutes are patterned after other
nearly 550 worldwide. China spent over $158 million on
national language and cultural programs, such as France’s
Confucius Institutes in the United States between 2006 and
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Confucius Institutes in the United States: Selected Issues
2019, according to a U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee
expenses. U.S. partners provide matching contributions,
on Investigations report (see text box, above). In addition,
generally in-kind, including support from private sources.
the Institutes sponsor Confucius Classrooms in U.S.
These contributions generally consist of classroom, office,
primary and secondary schools. The Classrooms typically
and library space; furnishings, computers; and program
are affiliated with Institutes at nearby colleges, and their
staff. The Institutes maintain reading rooms containing PRC
total has fallen dramatically with the decrease in the
publications.
number of Institutes in recent years.
Concerns
The number of Confucius Institutes in the United States fell
According to some experts, the activities of Confucius
to 18 as of April 2022, according to the National
Institutes are narrow in scope, and they have an incentive to
Association of Scholars, a nonprofit advocacy group. Of
avoid controversial activities, such as disseminating PRC
these, four universities have indicated that they plan to
propaganda, on the one hand, and broaching topics that are
close their Institutes, one is “under review,” and four are
politically sensitive in China, on the other. Some academic
located in non-college settings. U.S. universities have cited
observers counter that Confucius Institutes exert influence
various reasons for ending their agreements, including (1)
in U.S. universities through PRC board members’
concerns about academic freedom, (2) the potential for
interpersonal relations and the Institutes’ involvement in
Chinese government influence and risks to U.S. national
China-related programs and connections to educational and
security, (3) difficulty operating due to the Coronavirus
research opportunities in China. Other issues include
Disease 2019 pandemic, (4) the desire to keep DOD
questions about the teaching qualifications of instructors
Chinese Language Flagship program and other U.S.
from China, tensions between the Institutes and existing
government funding that have been or may be restricted by
Chinese language programs in academic departments, and
law, and (5) encouragement by some Members of Congress.
differing priorities between school administrators and
faculty regarding the Institutes. In 2014, the American
Agreements, Management, and
Association of University Professors issued a statement
Operation
calling on U.S. universities to end their partnerships with
To establish a Confucius Institute, U.S. and PRC partner
Confucius Institutes unless their arrangements met
educational institutions sign an implementation agreement,
conditions related to academic freedom, managerial control,
and each side also signs an agreement with China’s Center
and transparency.
for Language Education and Cooperation (formerly
Hanban). The agreements and the Confucius Institute
Some reports provide examples of Confucius Institute
Constitution together govern Institute activities. They
Board members or PRC officials directly or indirectly
reportedly allow for some flexibility and variation
pressuring faculty, administrators, or invited guests at U.S.
regarding the operation of individual Institutes. Some
universities that host Confucius Institutes to avoid making
agreements reportedly have been accessible online while
public statements or holding events on topics that the PRC
others have been available upon request. Some have had
government considers politically sensitive. Other reports
confidentiality clauses and, in some cases, U.S. host schools
suggest that there have been few instances of Confucius
reportedly have resisted disclosing their agreements.
Institutes overtly attempting to interfere in academic and
extra-curricular activities and speech at U.S. host
Confucius Institutes each are overseen by a Board of
universities. Some U.S. schools, particularly larger, more
Directors, usually made up of around eight people, with the
prestigious ones, reportedly have successfully pushed back
top positions filled by chancellors, deans, or scholars in
against or prevented PRC interference in university events,
Asian or Chinese studies from the U.S. institution, along
such as speaking engagements by the Dalai Lama and other
with administrators and faculty from the Chinese partner
figures opposed by the Chinese government.
school. The Institutes are administered by either a U.S.
director or by U.S. and PRC co-directors. In many cases,
Some observers raise additional concerns, including the
the U.S. director or co-director is a Chinese-speaking
lack of PRC reciprocity toward U.S. educational efforts in
school administrator or faculty member.
China, possible incomplete reporting by U.S. universities to
the Department of Education regarding funds received from
Some provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws of the
China for their Confucius Institutes, and some cases in
Confucius Institutes have raised controversy. Chapter 1,
which Institute instructors from China entered the United
Article 6 states that Confucius Institutes shall abide by the
States under an improper J-1 visa category.
laws of the countries in which they are located and respect
local educational traditions, but also that they shall not
Legislation
contravene PRC laws. Some Confucius Institute directors
Congress has introduced legislation that include restrictions
have responded that PRC law applies only to PRC Board
and requirements related to the operation of Confucius
members and teachers, and in limited ways.
Institutes in the United States. In the 117th Congress, such
legislation includes S. 577; H.R. 1535; S. 590 (passed in the
The Chinese side typically provides start-up funding of
Senate); H.R. 2622; S. 822; H.R. 2057; and H.R. 4521 (in
$150,000 and operating costs of $100,000-$200,000 per
conference committee).
year for each U.S. Confucius Institute, although some
Institutes have had much larger budgets. These
Thomas Lum, Specialist in Asian Affairs
expenditures cover teachers’ salaries, books, computer
Hannah Fischer, Senior Research Librarian
hardware and software, scholarships, and other related
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Confucius Institutes in the United States: Selected Issues
IF11180
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