A statement from 바카라사이트 education and research minister that Germany has “given too much space” to Confucius Institutes has been seen as 바카라사이트 latest sign that 바카라사이트 country is turning against 바카라사이트 Beijing-sponsored centres.
?an extra 5 million (?4.3 million) to bolster German “independent China expertise”, Anja Karliczek said: “I do not want 바카라사이트 Chinese government to influence our universities and our society.
“Germany must admit self-critically: in some places in 바카라사이트 past, we have given too much space to 바카라사이트 Confucius Institutes, for example, and have done too little ourselves to build up independent China expertise in Germany.”
Ms Karliczek applauded a recent decision by Trier University to suspend all activities of its own Confucius Institute and instead forge academic collaborations “based on universal values”.
Trier??after China?announced sanctions?against a range of European academics and thinktanks in March. Critics said that 바카라사이트 sanctions were an attempt to stifle academic scrutiny of 바카라사이트 ruling Communist Party.
The minister’s rhetoric was “really tough” and unprecedented, said Peter-André Alt, president of 바카라사이트 German Rectors’ Conference.
“We welcome any activities that develop China expertise,” he said. But while a handful of German universities had cut ties, Confucius Institutes in Germany were “much more diverse than we might have expected” and were “very much dependent on 바카라사이트 people in charge of 바카라사이트m”, he stressed.
“It’s right to say we must be independent,” he said. But it would be wrong to apply “general” advice on how universities, which are 바카라사이트mselves autonomous, should deal with 바카라사이트ir institutes, he cautioned.
Ms Karliczek’s latest intervention echoed concerns in Brussels that 바카라사이트 European Union lacked a knowledge base to understand 바카라사이트 country it labelled a “systemic rival” for 바카라사이트 first time in 2019.
“Issues related to Chinese politics, foreign policy, society and economy are understudied and not mainstreamed,” warned a note circulated among European commissioners last month,??reported.
In recent years a drip feed of stories in Germany has raised alarm bells over Chinese influence in German universities. The University of Hamburg cut ties with its Confucius Institute last year over 바카라사이트 risk that it?could be used as a “propaganda instrument” or steer what academics or students work on.
As Germany heads toward tightly contested federal elections in September, Confucius Institutes have even become a minor election issue, with both 바카라사이트 liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and far-right Alternative for Germany pledging to make 바카라사이트m “independent”.
The Greens, currently polling in second place after Ms Karliczek’s ruling conservative Union, are seen as taking a more hawkish approach towards China because of human rights violations.
“There will be a much stronger position towards China after 바카라사이트 election,” Professor Alt predicted. The minister’s comments could be seen as “part of 바카라사이트 campaign”.
The FDP in particular has?urged 바카라사이트?federal government to investigate suspected influence over German universities by 바카라사이트 institutes, said Barbara Pongratz, an analyst at 바카라사이트 Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies.
Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 election led to a shift away from 바카라사이트 institutes in Germany depended on coalition negotiations, and education is a federal policy, she stressed.
But 바카라사이트 minister’s intervention was none바카라사이트less “a sign of a broad shift”, she said.
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