Culture helps bridge gaps
Updated: 2015-01-14 08:33
By Tom Watkins(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
Foreign students studying Chinese share their stories at the headquarters of Confucius Institute in Beijing on Saturday. [Photo by Xu Pingting/chinadaily.com.cn] |
A decade ago China began opening centers abroad called Confucius Institutes to share its culture and language with the rest of the world. Today, there are more than 300 Confucius Institutes in more than 90 countries, and China aims to establish 1,000 Confucius Institutes by 2020.
The Chinese government's funding for Confucius Institutes is $100,000-200,000 a year on many campuses, and sometimes more, and the institutes are growing rapidly. In 2013 the funding totaled $278 million, more than six times that of 2006.
A chorus of concern has risen recently on whether universities have entered into arrangements with China that might compromise their academic integrity and independence. Some academics are calling for Confucius Institutes to hold lectures and forums on sensitive Chinese topics. The Confucius Institutes' response: this is not their focus or role.
But in the United States and across the rest of the world, Confucius Institutes are building bridges rather than Great Walls to share knowledge about the history, culture and language of a rising world power which has been in the shadows. They are mysterious no longer - helping to cement the "people-people" relationship between nations in the hope of shaping a better 21st century.
The Confucius Institutes have provided a focal point for people to learn about Chinese language and culture. Hundreds of these institutes are today in nearly every corner of the globe, becoming a springboard for cultural exchange as well as a bridge reinforcing friendship and cooperation between China and the citizens of the world.
Clearly the Chinese are not content to let their country remain the factory of the world. On multiple planes, they are striving and succeeding in reclaiming their status as a cultured, educated, innovative nation. Why would they not want to share this with the world?
- Inspection teams to cover all of military in anti-corruption drive
- Tornado, heavy rain batters Central China's Hunan
- Beijing's five-year plan: Cut population, boost infrastructure
- Palace Museum discovers relics buried for over 600 years
- Disney promises ‘safe, pleasing service of high quality’
- Couple detained for selling their two sons
- Rousseff: Accusations against her 'untruthful'
- Almost one-sixth of Brazil's confirmed microcephaly cases linked to Zika
- Impeachment trial against Rousseff recommended to senate
- With nomination secured, Trump to aim all guns at Hillary Clinton
- Obama sips Flint water, urges children be tested for lead
- Massive protests against Abe mark Japan's Constitution Memorial Day
- Raging wildfire spreads to more areas in west Canada
- World's first rose museum to open in Beijing
- Teapot craftsman makes innovation, passes down techniques
- Top 8 iOS apps recommend for mothers
- Five things you may not know about the Start of Summer
- Art imagines celebrities as seniors
- Japanese animator Miyazaki's shop a big hit in Shanghai
- Star Wars Day celebrated around world
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Liang avoids jail in shooting death
China's finance minister addresses ratings downgrade
Duke alumni visit Chinese Embassy
Marriott unlikely to top Anbang offer for Starwood: Observers
Chinese biopharma debuts on Nasdaq
What ends Jeb Bush's White House hopes
Investigation for Nicolas's campaign
Will US-ASEAN meeting be good for region?
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |