China’s State-Funded Confucius Institutes Draw U.S. Scrutiny
- State Department poised to demand campus operations register
- Latest step in escalating U.S.-China tension on various fronts
Students take a Chinese brush painting class as part of the Confucius Institute international network of classes in Denver in 2017.
Photographer: RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The Trump administration is increasing scrutiny of a long-established Chinese-government funded program that’s dedicated to teaching Chinese language and culture in the U.S. and other nations, the latest escalation of tensions with Beijing.
The State Department plans to announce as soon as Thursday that Confucius Institutes in the U.S. -- many of which are based on college campuses -- will need to register as “foreign missions,” according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified.