the film “In The Name of Confucius” (From YouTube)

 
Key points in this article:

• Confucius Institute exposé film “In The Name Of Confucius” screened in Japan
• The Confucius Institute is affiliated with many universities around the world including 14 in Japan, 23 in the U.K. and 103 in the U.S.
• University of California is showing pro-China colors.

 
The Confucius Institute is a Chinese languages organization to be established in universities around the world, instigated by the Beijing government.

A documentary film “In The Name of Confucius”, which picks up on the controversies surrounding the Confucius Institute, was recently screened in Tokyo, Japan. It was screened at an international human rights conference held by organizations including the Human Rights Foundation, on 15 November.

“In The Name of Confucius”, produced in Canada in 2016, is the recipient of numerous international awards, and has been screened in over 6 countries including the U.S., Canada, Australia, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and parts of Europe.

The Beijing government, however, reportedly pressured the Japanese government, via the Chinese Embassy, to stop the screening. The Japanese government, however, refused to comply and went forward with the screening.

The Struggle

The film covers the story of the multi-billion dollar Confucius Institute program advanced by the Beijing government and its controversies around the world.

The Confucius Institute is a program to introduce Chinese education and culture to university institutions around the world. It is a huge government project with the primary aim of establishing China-friendly relationships with various countries.

The film features the story of Sonia Zhao, a former teacher at the Confucius Institute in Canada. Wary of the expanding influence of the Chinese Communist Party, Zhao and the locals undertook an unprecedented protest against the plan to open the world’s largest Confucius Institute. Canada’s largest school board, the TDSB, responded by terminating the plan.

The film also warns against “a loss of academic integrity, violations to human rights codes, foreign influence, and even potential infringements on national security” (from the film website).

At the screening, director Doris Liu said, “I will not bow down to the Beijing government. I will continue to promote this film to educate and enlighten the people”.

Confucius Institute in Japan

There are already over 1,500 Confucius Institutes around the world, and the Beijing government plan to increase it to 2,000 by the end of 2020.

Despite having 14 tie-up universities with the Confucius Institute – including Waseda, Ritsumeikan and Musashino – in Japan, not a word has been spoken about the controversies.

Regardless of which country, inside the Confucius Institute campus expression of opinions and speech is controlled just like in China. Homare Endo, an expert on China who attended the Tokyo conference, commented that the Confucius Institute serves the double purpose of being “part of the soft power to export China’s controlled speech, and propaganda of the Communist Party”.

The Confucius Institute, however, is not the only method of spreading China’s Party ideologies. There are said to be over 50,000 Chinese spies in Japan. These spies, disguised as international students, civil workers, scholars and shop clerks, have infiltrated Japanese society and have formed a network to gather information for the Beijing government. Targets also include self-defense servicemen (around 70% of servicemen with foreign wives are married to Chinese women).

Growing Pro-China Powers in California

Beijing authorities have sent spies, not only to Japan, but also throughout the world. There is ample evidence that authorities like to scout Chinese-Americans as spies to gather information.

For instance, one of these targets was California, a former liberal-leaning state. Edwin M. Lee, the Mayor of San Francisco responsible for the erecting of the Comfort Women statue, is a Chinese-American.

Rose Pak, who helped Lee get elected, was the consultant for the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce and a powerful advocate for the Chinatown community with strong connections with the Beijing government. Jean Quan, Major of Oakland, California also happens to be Chinese-American.

Jerry Brown, Governor of California, is so pro-China he wants California to be part of China’s “One Belt, One Road”. Completely ignoring Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris agreement, Brown has proposed partnering with China to combat climate change. In 2018, he plans to conduct a poll to proclaim California’s independence.

While we cannot simply assume they are Chinese spies, and at best assume them to be misguided, they have an undeniably and suspiciously strong connection to the Beijing government.

Another thing we much watch is China’s increasing investments in LA and Hollywood. If Chinese companies end up buying and controlling the U.S. entertainment industry, films and television media will start painting everything Chinese in a favorable light.

Everything disadvantageous to China will be portrayed to invite antipathy. The world might be manipulated into believing the false history of the Nanking Massacre, for instance.

Of course, there are many people of Chinese descent who are highly ethical, and embrace the universal values of freedom and democracy. However, we must be wary of the government and its military ambitions before the threat expands throughout the globe.