Mike Pompeo seeks closure of China-funded Confucius Institutes by year end

US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said that he was hopeful about shut down of Chinese Confucius Institute cultural centres on US university campuses by end of year. Last month, United States designated Confucius Institute, a China-affiliated global education programme, as a foreign propaganda mission.

Speaking to Fox Business Network, top US diplomat said that everyone has started seeing risk associated with programme, accusing institutes of working to recruit “spies and collaborators” at colleges of United States. Pompeo opined that colleges are able to see ulterior motive of Chinese government-funded institutes and that y will be hopefully closed before end of this year.

In August, State Department released a “fact sheet‘ on Confucius Institutes, alleging that organisation delivers “skewed” Chinese langu and cultural training to US students as part of China’s “multifaceted propaganda efforts”. It added that “opacity” of organisation and its “state-directed nature” were driving reasons behind decision.

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designation alone doesn’t close Washington-based Confucius Institute US Center (CIUS), de facto headquarters of CI network, r US colleges and universities will have to close individual CIs. CIUS will have to regularly provide information to State Department about ir personnel, recruitment, funding, and operations in United States, similar to restrictions placed on diplomatic embassies.

“ United States wants to ensure that students on U.S. campuses have access to Chinese langu and cultural offerings free from manipulation of Chinese Communist Party and its proxies,” Pompeo had stated.

Pompeo wants reciprocity

State Secretary said that Beijing has enjoyed free and open access to US society for more than four decades while denying to same to US citizens and or foreigners in China. He added that Beijing has taken advant of America’s openness but Trump administration has w made it a priority to seek fair and reciprocal treatment from China.

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(Im: AP)