The Confucius Institutes in the real world

Since their foundation in 2004, hundreds of Confucius Institutes have been established across the globe. Confucius Institutes, Sponsored by the Office of Chinese Language Council International or Hanban, are non-profit organizations whose stated goal is to act as ambassadors for Chinese language and culture. Most recently, Confucius Institutes have attracted controversy because of their presentation of Chinese history and identity. This project explores how the Confucius Institutes materials and central message are problematic; specifically how the message they promote bolsters China’s territorial claims. Recognizing, however, that the Confucius Institutes are realistically unlikely to leave anytime soon, this project explores the salient differences between Confucius Institutes that mitigate the problematic nature of the Confucius Institute’s materials and those that remain sources of tension