Should Britain's Confucius Institutes be shut down?
Chinese Whispers9 Tammi 2023

Should Britain's Confucius Institutes be shut down?

Should Confucius Institutes be shut down? There are hundreds of these centres across six continents, funded by the Ministry of Education, with the stated goal of public education on and cultural promotion of China. They offer classes on language, history and culture of China, and some would say they help to plug a crucial shortage of Chinese language skills in host countries, especially across the West.
And yet, these have become deeply controversial. Criticism of the institutes range from their CCP-sanctioned curriculum which do not include sensitive topics, to allegations of espionage and erosion of academic independence with Confucius Institutes as the core. Sweden closed all of its CIs two years ago, and universities in countries including the US and Japan have also shut their centres down.
This is a live debate in the UK right now. Last November, security minister Tom Tugendhat confirmed that the government would be seeking to ban Confucius Institutes in the UK, repeating a pledge that Rishi Sunak had made during the Tory leadership race. But is this the right decision?
In this episode, I’m joined by Charles Parton, senior associate fellow at the thinktank RUSI, who worked in or around China as a diplomat for two decades. He is an expert on Chinese interference and espionage in the UK.

My interview with Raffaello Pantucci on how Confucius Institutes play a role in central Asia: https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast/the-new-great-game-how-china-replaced-russia-in-kazakhstan-and-beyond/.

Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.


For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.


Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(122)

A father and son at the edge of the Chinese empire

A father and son at the edge of the Chinese empire

As a child, the New York Times journalist Edward Wong had no idea that his father had been in the People’s Liberation Army. But as he grew up, a second generation immigrant in the United States, Edwar...

16 Syys 202438min

Investigating China's 'historic' claims in the South China Sea

Investigating China's 'historic' claims in the South China Sea

The South China Sea has been an area of regular clashes and heightened tensions under the leadership of Xi Jinping. It seems that, every few months, Chinese naval or coastguard ships clash or almost c...

2 Syys 202443min

What would a second Trump presidency bring for China?

What would a second Trump presidency bring for China?

Trump is tough on China, but what really motivates his hawkishness? Does he care at all about China's human rights abuses? Or is he fundamentally a foreign policy disentangler, hoping to rein back Ame...

19 Elo 202430min

How oil became the latest Chinese food scandal

How oil became the latest Chinese food scandal

Whenever I go back to China, I try to eat as much as I can – delicious Chinese food that I can’t have outside of the country, whether childhood favourites or the latest food trends. But I’m often stru...

5 Elo 202452min

Why China loves Taylor Swift

Why China loves Taylor Swift

‘Swifties’, as Taylor Swift’s fans are known across the world, are extremely dedicated to the cause, and often estimated to drive up local economies wherever they flock, and Chinese fans are no differ...

22 Heinä 202446min

Shock To The System (II): How China's electric cars dominated the world

Shock To The System (II): How China's electric cars dominated the world

The EU and US are turning up the pressure on Chinese made electric cars, as I discussed with my guest Finbarr Bermingham on the last episode. On this episode, I want to take a closer look at how China...

8 Heinä 202434min

Shock To The System (I): Can the EU fend off the threat of Chinese electric cars?

Shock To The System (I): Can the EU fend off the threat of Chinese electric cars?

The EU and China are in the foothills of a trade war. After a seven month investigation, the European Commission has announced tariffs of up to 38 per cent on electric cars from China, citing that the...

24 Kesä 202429min

How would Britain's Labour party change UK-China relations?

How would Britain's Labour party change UK-China relations?

In less than a month’s time, Britain may well have a new prime minister – and a different ruling party. Under 14 years of the Conservative party, the UK’s approach to China has swung from the sycophan...

10 Kesä 202433min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

uutiscast
aikalisa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
politiikan-puskaradio
tervo-halme
rss-podme-livebox
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
the-ulkopolitist
otetaan-yhdet
rss-asiastudio
aihe
rikosmyytit
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-aijat-hopottaa-podcast
rss-raha-talous-ja-politiikka
viisupodi