China’s Confucius Institutes Are Disappearing From US Campuses
- The Beijing-funded programs were targeted by Congress
- Legislation carried a threat to cut off US funds to campuses
A plaque and a flag hang outside the China Institute, home of the Confucius Institute, in New York.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Almost all the China-funded Confucius Institutes in the US have closed, a new report found, highlighting how soured ties between Beijing and Washington have led US universities to abandon what was once seen as a cheap way to offer Chinese classes.
All but five of the institutes, which were created in 2004 to promote Chinese language, are now closed, the Government Accountability Office said. That’s compared with 2019, when the GAO found 96 Confucius Institutes operating in 44 states. At the time, only six states had no colleges or universities with the centers.