CHINA-INDIA: CHINA REACTS TO PROPOSAL TO CLOSE CONFUCIUS INSTITUTES

i) A second Global Times editorial (August 6) again commented on the proposal with India's education ministry to review the establishment of China's Confucius institutes in association with seven local colleges and universities after intelligence agencies raised security concerns over cooperation. Suggesting that some regard the decision as the "Indian government extending the tension into the education sector in wake of recent border clashes with China", the editorial commented that "the move sparked concerns Indian enthusiasts for Chinese culture will bear the brunt of a potential cultural decoupling". Observing that India's National Education Policy (NEP) has also not included Putonghua on the list of examples of foreign languages schools can offer to students, it claimed the "Confucius institutes have been one of the most diversified Chinese language teaching partnerships connecting universities and educational institutes in China with their global partners.Around 20 Indian universities have offered Chinese language courses and eight universities provide programs on Chinese studies to local students as of the end of 2018, according to data released by the Chinese Embassy in India in the year. About 2,000 Indian students registered in Chinese studies and around 20,000 Indian learned Chinese in 2018. The Confucius institutes also award scholarships to Indian students interested in visiting and studying in China. Most of the students at the Chinese language schools in India are Indian businesspeople, teachers, translators and tourism professionals, and many young people see promising opportunities from learning Chinese, a Chinese language expert based in Mumbai who prefers to be anonymous told the Global Times". It said the Chinese Embassy in India on August 5, "urged the Indian side to avoid politicizing normal cooperation and maintain the healthy development of cultural exchanges between the two countries. All Confucius institutes were established by Chinese and Indian universities after signing legally binding cooperation agreements on a mutual basis with friendly consultation, as well as voluntary initiative from the Indian side to meet the conditions for running the institute, said the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, Counselor Ji Rong in the statement". It cited observers suggesting "India's so-called "security concerns" are clearly influenced by Western countries who are using a full-court press to contain China, including smearing the Confucius institutes". It quoted Qian Feng, Director of the Research Department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University: "Some anti-China forces in India are clamoring to decouple the Indian economy from China's. Reviewing education cooperation programs is equivalent to seeking a cultural decoupling. It's an ever worsening trend." It added that "some experts suggested the educational ministry's move should not cause undue concern, as the possibility of a total ban on Chinese language learning in India is very low and will not profoundly affect Indians' enthusiasm for Chinese". Srikanth Kondapalli, a Professor in Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, told the Global Times "It's not clear what the removal of the status for Chinese language [at schools] mean as it is being taught and used regardless of relations with China. Hundreds of graduates are churned out every year. We have a number of overseas Chinese tourists from Singapore who need Chinese language interpreters… In the public service exams, Chinese language is an optional test and many Indians are learning Chinese." 

ii) The CCP-owned Global on August 4 reacted to a reported proposal to review the Confucius Institutes and "Confucius classrooms" in association with seven local colleges and universities. This course of actions comes after security agencies alerted it to the growing Chinese influence in higher education in India. It interviewed Qian Feng, Director of the Research Department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University and Wang Dehua, Director of the Institute of South Asia and Central Asia Studies, Shanghai Municipal Center for International Studies. Qian Feng says "India intends to display toughness against China by deciding to review Chinese language programs across universities. Since the Galwan Valley clash, India has taken a string of hard-line actions against China, including reviewing investment proposals from Chinese firms, blocking China-linked apps and restricting Chinese companies from participating in public procurement bids. India has upped the ante against China by targeting the Confucius Institutes. This indicates that the Indian show of toughness toward China is far from coming to an end". He added that  "India cited security concerns to review Chinese language programs. The excuse is totally untenable. From the US' crackdown on Chinese enterprises such as Huawei and TikTok, one can see that "security threats" have become a disguise that is too often used for improper purposes". Ignoring the stand-off along the LAC, Qian Feng claimed "China-India relations have been affected by the international environment as well as the China-US relations. Now the US is launching an all-round crackdown on China, including imposing restrictions on people-to-people exchanges. Many of India's moves against China are consistent with the US' suppression on China. It's an obvious tendency that India is moving closer to the US strategically.  India has been caught up in a nationalist fever since the Galwan Valley clash. Confronted with domestic political pressure and rising anti-China sentiment, the Indian government has to show a hard-line stance toward China. India's decision to review the Confucius Institutes is in fact an act to politicize education and people-to-people exchanges. It will negatively affect the mutual trust between the Chinese and Indian societies as well as the political trust between the two governments". Parroting the usual line, he said "China is India's largest neighbor and China has played a relatively big role in India's economic development over the past decades. Politicizing economic, education and people-to-people exchanges with China will bring nothing but harm to India. Some anti-China forces in India are clamoring to decouple the Indian economy from China's. Reviewing education cooperation programs is equivalent to seeking cultural decoupling. It's an ever worsening trend". Saying that "There have been ups and downs in bilateral relations since China and India established diplomatic relations 70 years ago. The two countries had previously undergone chilly ties and confrontations like what they are experiencing now", but each time bilateral relationships rebounded since "This is decided by the national interests of the two countries. China and India are immovable neighbors". He then added that "China and India have a lot of room for cooperation", he said whether the two will finally go back to the track of mending ties "now largely depends on whether India can take a rational attitude toward China". Qian Feng warned "I suggest India not go too far in getting tough on China, as it will surely backfire". Wang Dehua said "Some Indians wrongly see the Confucius Institutes as China's propaganda machines that export China's ideology". He also said "China-India relations are quite strained now and it's mainly because India has failed to correctly evaluate the situation". He added: "Like a cattle that is hard to pull back, India is moving closer to the US, and it intends to show the US its hard-line posture against China. The number of the Confucius Institutes in India is limited. If New Delhi reviews these institutes, it will bring great uncertainties to whether the operations of these institutes could continue". He thereafter added "Since the border clash between China and India broke out, India has taken a series of hard-line measures against China. I believe the 1962 defeat hangover has persisted in India. Some of the Indian elites believe China is expansionist. They regard China's good relationship with India's neighboring countries, especially Pakistan, as a big threat. Some Indian elites suppose if the border issue cannot be settled now, it will be much more difficult to tackle in 30 years. Therefore, they have repeatedly provoked China over the border issue now".

The Chinese Embassy in Delhi has separately reacted to the proposal regarding the Confucius Institutes. Pro-China academics and elements in India have also taken an opposing stance on social media like Facebook. 






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