Six Australian universities close Chinese government-linked Confucius Institutes

Six Australian universities have now closed Chinese government-linked Confucius Institutes on their campuses, two years after the federal government signalled it would not allow any more of the controversial educational centres to open their doors in Australia.

The government ramped up scrutiny of the institutes, which critics said had undermined academic freedom and allowed Chinese authorities to exert undue influence over what was taught at universities.

The centres have now quietly disappeared from some Australian campuses, with the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland (UQ), the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Western Australia (UWA) all opting not to renew their contracts to keep them running.

Adelaide University also appeared to have closed its Confucius Institute, although it refused to confirm or deny that.

Confucius Institutes are hosted on Australian campuses in partnership with Chinese universities, and typically teach courses on Chinese language and culture.

But in recent years, several Australian universities have scrambled to renegotiate contracts and exert more control over what is taught, as the federal government became increasingly concerned Beijing was using the centres to monitor Chinese international students on campus and push narratives favourable to its interests.

In 2019, the ABC reported that applicants for volunteer teaching positions at the institutes were required to demonstrate political loyalty to the Chinese government, while Human Rights Watch said they had repeatedly censored any discussion of issues sensitive to Beijing.

The federal government has also required universities to provide more information about the centres and — in some cases — register them on the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme.

"The foreign minister has been clear in conveying her expectation to the university sector that Australian universities should not establish any new Confucius Institutes," a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said.

A separate Australian government source said senior officials had also made it "crystal clear" to universities that the government saw Confucius Institutes as a "problem" which "has to be carefully managed".

The source insisted the government had not issued any demands to universities to shut down the existing centres.

Still, over the last five years, several of Australia's leading universities have cut ties with their institutes — although none of them have publicly cited concerns around foreign interference.

Contracts not renewed

The University of Melbourne said its partnership with Nanjing University ended in August last year and there was "no additional need to renew" the agreement.

"The Confucius Institute was only one of the many ways the University of Melbourne continues to deepen its understanding of China and capacity to engage with Chinese institutions," a spokesperson said.

"Today, the university offers a multitude of Chinese language and Asia capability programs and experiences to enable significant knowledge and cultural exchange across the community."

Like several Australian universities, Melbourne University also receives a large amount of research funding from the US, which has recently asked researchers if their universities have links to China.

A University of Queensland spokesperson said its agreement with Tianjin University to run its Confucius Institute concluded at the end of last year.

"UQ continues to foster relationships with leading institutions around the world, including in China, in the areas of student mobility, joint degree programs and research," they said.

Both UNSW and the University of Western Australia also told the ABC they had decided not to renew their contracts for Confucius Institutes — although they cited the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as their main reason.

A University of New South Wales spokesperson said their agreement "lapsed in 2022" and was "not renewed due to COVID-19 … following a mutual decision by all parties".

"The university is developing its own program in Chinese studies, including language and literacy," they said.

"UNSW is committed to thought leadership and encouraging open dialogue in the China–Australia bilateral relationship and broader Asia literacy."

The University of Western Australia's spokesperson said its Confucius Institute shut in 2023 "following ongoing disruptions from COVID-related border closures".

"The University recognises the importance of Asian language skills," they said.

"UWA has expanded its Chinese studies program to meet demand for language education, negating the need to pursue a new agreement for a CI."

While Adelaide University would not confirm its Confucius Institute had closed, the ABC could not reach anyone at the centre.

An email drew an automatic reply saying the centre would "reopen on Monday 29 January 2024" — suggesting it may have been inactive for quite some time.

A spokesperson for the university said it: "Continues to deepen understanding of the global community through its commitment to language and cultural studies, as well as fostering connections with other countries, including China, through partnerships, research and education collaboration."

RMIT also closed its Confucius Institute in 2021, citing the impacts of COVID-19.

Universities want to avoid controversy, expert says

Dr Jeffrey Gil from Flinders University, who studies Confucius Institutes, said he "wasn't surprised" by the closures.

"There have been long-standing concerns about Confucius Institutes in Australia, which have intensified with the deterioration of Australia-China relations in recent years. Confucius Institutes have also closed in the USA and some European countries," he said.

"Together, these make Confucius Institutes less desirable and less viable in Australia."

Dr Gil said the government's concerns around foreign interference were "likely to be one factor" in university decisions not to renew contracts.

He also pointed out that the US government had withdrawn some funding from American universities that host the centres.

"It's possible universities may think something like this could also happen in Australia," he told the ABC.

"I also think that universities simply want to avoid the controversy that's attached to hosting a Confucius Institute."

But Dr Gil said he was not convinced that Confucius Institutes were promoting "Chinese government propaganda or overtly political narratives of China."

"Based on my research, Confucius Institutes' teaching and cultural activities focus on non-political, non-controversial aspects of China and Chinese culture," he said.

"It is more a matter of avoiding negative or controversial issues regarding China than pushing a pro-Beijing narrative."

"I also believe that Confucius Institutes have had very little influence on perceptions of China in Australia and the Western world more broadly, as opinion polls show no improvement in favourable views on China."

In 2020, China's government moved management of the institutes from the Ministry of Education to an NGO — the China Foundation for International Chinese Language Education — as it tried to neuter accusations of government meddling and foreign interference.

The ABC has been told that shift has made it harder for some staff at Confucius Institutes to secure visas, particularly given the increased scrutiny the centres have faced since 2020, when the bilateral relationship soured.

Seven institutes remain open

However, while the number of Confucius Institutes has almost halved over the last five years, seven Australian universities told ABC News their centres were still up and running.

"The Confucius Institute at the University of Newcastle builds on cultural awareness and diversity in our region through the delivery of Chinese language classes and cultural events," said University of Newcastle vice-chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky.

"We have registered the Confucius Institute under the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme since 2021."

The University of Sydney said its Confucius Institute remained open but did not receive funding from China.

"Our Confucius Institute is still running and provides Chinese language programs to the community through our Centre for Continuing Education," said a university spokesperson.

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) said its Confucius Institute remained open but that the arrangement would be reviewed next year.

"QUT continues to host the Confucius Institute in 2025 in support of language instruction in Queensland Schools," said a QUT spokesperson.

"Our current contract is due to expire next year and we review all agreements in line with Australian government policy and our available resources."

"We have always and will continue to comply with all requirements of DFAT."

Griffith University, La Trobe University and Victoria University also confirmed their Confucius Institutes remained open with no plans to close.

Charles Darwin University did not respond to a request for comment but its Institute remains open according to its website.

The Coalition has not commented on the latest closures, but the Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson has previously said universities should  "carefully consider" whether Confucius Institutes are "consistent with their values."

Additional reporting by ABC Chinese