China-backed centres at UK universities under threat from new free speech laws
Exclusive: Confucius Institutes, partnerships between UK and Chinese universities, funded by the Chinese state, offer Mandarin classes and promote cultural events
Confucius Institutes at universities across England are under threat from new free speech rules, setting off urgent talks between ministers, vice-chancellors and regulators over the fate of the China-backed language and culture centres.
Universities fear that the new regulations imposed by the Office for Students (OfS) this month will cause legal headaches with their Chinese partners, including the government in Beijing, and could lead to some being closed.
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