Six Australian universities have quietly closed their Confucius Institutes, which are affiliated with the Chinese government, on their campuses. In recent years, the Australian government has intensified its scrutiny of these educational centers due to concerns that Beijing is using them to spread propaganda and monitor Chinese students in Australia.
Read Also...:
Why shoppers should expect to pay up to 33 per cent more for Easter eggs this year
04-03, 2025
Civil war in Myanmar enters temporary ceasefire as earthquake death toll hits 3000
04-03, 2025
Gujarat warehouse explosion: ‘Water break saved me but killed my brother in India’
04-03, 2025
UK couple's death in New Zealand probed as murder-suicide
04-03, 2025The Chinese side states that Confucius Institutes provide Chinese language and cultural courses overseas and are "bridges to strengthen friendship." However, the international community is increasingly concerned about the Chinese government's expansion of influence overseas through such educational centers, and some universities in the United States and Europe have also chosen to close some of their branches.
These closures mean that nearly half of Australia's university-based Confucius Institutes have been shut down. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), seven Confucius Institutes are still in operation. The Confucius Institutes at the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland (UQ), the University of Western Australia (UWA), the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and RMIT University have now been removed from their campuses.
Some universities have stated that disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were the reason for not renewing their Confucius Institute contracts. A spokesperson for the University of New South Wales said that the university is developing its own Chinese studies program and is committed to "encouraging open dialogue in Sino-Australian bilateral relations." A spokesperson for the University of Queensland said that its Confucius Institute's contract expired in December 2024 and that it had "not received any direction from the government."
The University of Melbourne closed its Confucius Institute in August 2024, which was established in 2007 in partnership with Nanjing University. A spokesperson for the University of Melbourne stated that the institution already offered a variety of Chinese language and Asian programs, so there was "no additional need to renew" the agreement. A spokesperson for the University of Adelaide did not confirm that its Confucius Institute had closed but said that it would continue to promote ties with other countries, including China, through partnerships and educational cooperation.
Human Rights Watch stated in a 2019 report that Confucius Institutes are "an extension of the Chinese government" and censor discussions of issues that are politically sensitive to Beijing. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported in 2019 that applicants for volunteer teacher positions at Confucius Institutes must demonstrate political loyalty to the Chinese government. Dr. Jeffrey Gill of Flinders University, who studies Confucius Institutes, said he was "not surprised" by the latest closures and believes that concerns about foreign interference "may be a factor." However, Dr. Gill said he does not believe that Confucius Institutes are promoting "Chinese government propaganda" and have "little impact on perceptions of China in Australia and the wider Western world."
