US Senate backs bill to clamp down on China-funded Confucius Institutes
- The Chinese cultural centres on university campuses have been accused by lawmakers of being propaganda tools
- The proposed measure would cut back on federal funding for colleges with a Confucius Institute on campus unless the school has full authority over the centre
The US Senate unanimously approved a bill to tighten controls on Chinese-funded cultural centres on university campuses known as Confucius Institutes, the latest in a series of efforts to crack down on the centres lawmakers accuse of being propaganda tools.
The measure passed the Senate by unanimous consent – without a roll-call vote – on Thursday. There was no immediate word on Friday on when it might be taken up in the House of Representatives.
The measure would cut back on federal funding for any college or university with a Confucius Institute on its campus, unless the institute ensured that the college or university had full authority over it, including what grants it makes and who works there.
To become law, the measure must pass the House and be signed by President Joe Biden.
US officials have been pushing to close Confucius Institutes for some time. Former Republican secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in September he hoped all of them would be shut down by the end of 2020.
