Funding cut for ‘Trojan horse’ Chinese institutes at UK universities

Confucius Institutes operating out of British universities have been stripped of their Government funding amid fears over potential Chinese influence.

Thirty of the organisations are active across UK campuses, which were set up to deliver culture and language classes to international students.

But the bodies have been accused of acting as a front for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to clamp down on critical views of Beijing.

Likened to “Trojan horses”, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) said last year that Confucius Institutes are “run and part-funded by the Hanban, an educational organisation that is ultimately controlled by the CCP’s Central Propaganda Department”.

It found that the organisations are “utilised by the Chinese Government in order to dissuade universities from engaging in debates that the CCP considers to be unsuitable topics”, such as teaching about Tibet and Taiwan.

Rishi Sunak promised last year to withdraw their funding, having watered down a previous pledge to ban them altogether after concluding that doing so would be “disproportionate”.

The Department for Education (DfE) told the Telegraph that the push to stop subsidising the bodies has now been completed, meaning Confucius Institutes no longer receive funding from the UK Government.

However, it will still raise questions over whether they should operate in the UK at all, amid growing fears over Chinese interference on British campuses.

The number of Confucius Institutes at US universities and colleges has plummeted from about 100 in 2019 to fewer than five today, after the White House raised “concerns about undue influence and more”.

Lord Patten, the chancellor of Oxford University and the last governor of Hong Kong, urged the new Government to reconsider its position over Confucius Institutes.

“If they are literally just going to be a help in teaching Chinese, that’s fine, but I think it’s very difficult to guarantee that. There’s evidence of some of them trying to get involved and manipulate what’s happening in the university as a whole,” he told the Telegraph.

“We should say we’re not prepared for that to happen. I’d be perfectly happy to welcome support in teaching the Chinese language and teaching other things about Chinese civilization, but not at the expense of anybody trying to manipulate other aspects of the curriculum.”

A Government spokesperson said Confucius Institutes must “operate transparently and within the law”.

It comes amid increasing concerns over UK universities’ dependence on lucrative Chinese students, who make up the second-largest intake among international students.

Experts warn this has made some higher education leaders willing to bend to pressure from Beijing to stifle debate on China-critical subjects, and treat Chinese students differently to their peers.

The Telegraph revealed this week that the Chinese embassy has persistently messaged some universities in recent months asking to arrange meetings with their Chinese student bodies on campus.

The University of Cambridge in September became the latest institution to host a private visit from the Chinese ambassador, during which he told Chinese students to “serve the motherland”.

Zheng Zeguang also “briefed the students on the achievements of China’s development [and] inspired them to love the country”, according to a report of the visit on the Chinese government website.

The ISC has previously warned that Beijing has actively sought to “monitor and control Chinese students’ behaviour” at British universities through a network of more than 90 student Chinese student groups, partly funded by the Chinese embassy.

It warned that there was a “culture of fear and suspicion among Chinese students in the UK”, and that “pressure is exerted on institutions, academics and students to prevent engagement with topics that harm the positive narrative presented by the Chinese Communist Party”.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, has so far declined to call China a “threat” since entering No 10, but has launched a major new defence review and a separate audit of UK-China relations.

A Government spokesperson said: “The ongoing audit process on the UK’s relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor will improve the UK’s capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses.

“Like any international body operating in the UK, Confucius Institutes need to operate transparently and within the law, and with a full commitment to our values of openness and freedom of expression.

“The Education Secretary has also made clear that international students will always be welcome, but we are also clear that migration needs to be managed carefully. We welcome international partnerships, including with China, where they add to the academic richness of our universities.”