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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Richard Adams Education editor

China-backed centres at UK universities under threat from new free speech laws

United Kingdom China Confucius Institutes OFS Confucius Institute Jacqui Smith England Lancaster University the Office for Students
A hand painting traditional Japanese calligraphy on red paper
Confucius Institutes could run afoul of new rules punishing universities for being involved with ‘a foreign-funded institute’. Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock

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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