China defended its government-funded Confucius Institute programs on Friday after new questions were raised in the United States about their transparency and effect on academic freedom.
As if China really wants to promote Confucius thinking and Chinese culture with these institutes:
But the institutes have raised concerns that they threaten academic freedom, conduct surveillance of Chinese students abroad and promote the political aims of China's ruling Communist Party.
Duh.
American universities should no more want to allow these Chinese government institutes on to campus than they would allow ISIL Institutes, Ethnic Russian Putin Institutes, or Aryan Institutes.
Shame on those universities for taking China's money and allowing China to gain the stamp of approval of our higher education apparatus as a cover for information warfare.
Or have I missed the establishment of Lady Liberty Institutes promoting English language and American values in Chinese universities?
UPDATE: Related:
Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is this year's winner of China's Confucius Peace Prize, portrayed by organizers as an alternative to the Nobel Prize, which they see as biased against China.
So great, that's just what the world needs--two anti-Western peace prizes in the world.
UPDATE: Remember, China has reason to try to confuse us:
Hong Kong police arrested pro-democracy activists and cleared most of the main protest site on Thursday, marking an end to more than two months of street demonstrations in the Chinese-controlled city, but many chanted: "We will be back".
Most the activists chose to leave the Admiralty site, next to the Central business area, peacefully, despite their demands for a free vote not being met. But the overall mood remained defiant.
Don't become confused. What Peking allows in Hong Kong is not what democracy looks like.
