cross-posted from: lemmy.sdf.org/post/31997711

[…]

The Australian government has ramped up scrutiny on the education centres in recent years over concerns that Beijing is using them to spread propaganda and spy on Chinese international students.

[…]

There have been growing global concerns about the Chinese government’s reach overseas through such education centres, with universities in America and Europe also choosing to close some of their branches.

[…]

Confucius centres have now been removed from the campuses of the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland (UQ), the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).

Several universities cited disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic as the reason for not renewing their CI contracts.

A spokesperson for UNSW said the university was developing its own programme in Chinese studies and is committed to “encouraging open dialogue in the China-Australia bilateral relationship”.

[…]