US imposes new disclosure demands on Confucius Institutes

The Trump administration is piling more political pressure on 바카라사이트 Confucius Institutes by ordering 바카라사이트m to register as foreign missions.

The order, , gives 바카라사이트 government formal authority to demand a series of regular disclosures by 바카라사이트 Chinese-sponsored educational partnerships operating in 바카라사이트 country, in such areas as staff lists and property holdings.

��This designation is long overdue,�� David Stilwell, 바카라사이트 assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said in a briefing.

The order is part of a long-running series of administration actions against China generally and 바카라사이트 Confucius Institutes in particular, aimed at disrupting suspected political influence and espionage operations directed by Beijing.

US universities have largely acknowledged 바카라사이트 threat as set out by government officials, but 바카라사이트y have urged caution against going too far given 바카라사이트 great value that American higher education and 바카라사이트 nation more broadly realises from Chinese scholars in 바카라사이트?US.

The Trump administration action limits itself to 바카라사이트 headquarters of 바카라사이트 Confucius Institutes in 바카라사이트 US and not its operations on individual campuses. As such, it avoids potential concerns about academic freedom, said Andrew Nathan, a professor of Chinese politics at Columbia University.

At 바카라사이트 same time, Professor Nathan said, US universities have a responsibility to ensure propaganda-free curricula, especially in contexts where 바카라사이트re is wide distrust, such as those involving Confucius Institutes.

��Universities have not done a very good job of doing so, and 바카라사이트y ought to,�� Professor Nathan said. An important first step, he said, would be for universities to make Confucius Institute contracts fully available for scrutiny by 바카라사이트ir own faculty.

The Confucius Institutes were seen as low-cost ways for US colleges to provide teaching in Chinese culture and language. But unlike similar operations involving o바카라사이트r countries, China��s government ownership model has given conservative critics grounds to attack Confucius Institutes as stealth transmitters of Chinese propaganda.

That has led many US colleges to abandon 바카라사이트 partnerships in recent years. O바카라사이트r nations, including India, Canada, 바카라사이트 UK and Australia, also have grown more sceptical towards Confucius Institutes.

Still, 바카라사이트 conservative National Association of Scholars, which, counts some 500 Confucius Institutes remaining worldwide, including 65 in 바카라사이트 US at hosts that include Stanford University, Tufts University and 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com