Requested to be registered as a "foreign mission" Confucius Institute American Center responded

The Confucius Institute US Center responded to the request to register as a "foreign mission": There are many pressing issues between China and the United States, and the Confucius Institute is not among them

　　[Global Times-Global Network Reporter Li Sikun] In response to the announcement by the US Secretary of State Pompeo that the Confucius Institute US Center was required to register as a "foreign mission", the Confucius Institute US Center (CIUS) responded on the 13th local time and said that he did not agree With this designation by the US State Department, CIUS has "no influence" on how American universities operate and manage their own Confucius Institute language programs, and expressed the hope that this fundamental misunderstanding can be clarified.

　　“We are very pleased to have this opportunity to present the facts about the Confucius Institute’s education program. We are very happy to respond to the State Department’s information request.” The statement stated that in the past efforts to maintain transparency, CIUS voluntarily provided it to the US State Department or other relevant agencies. A lot of similar information, "We are still committed to doing this."

　　The statement also stated that CIUS does not agree with the designation of the US State Department and hopes to clarify this fundamental misunderstanding. The statement pointed out that the letter from the US State Department correctly acknowledged that CIUS is not a diplomatic organization, and that its employees are not government officials or representatives. However, the US Secretary of State’s press release criticized CIUS for advancing a “malicious influence campaign” as part of a global propaganda campaign.

　　On August 13, local time, US Secretary of State Pompeo announced that the US Center of the Confucius Institute was required to register as a "foreign mission." Pompeo claimed in a statement that the Confucius Institute America Center in Washington is "an entity that promotes Beijing's global propaganda and malicious influence activities on American campuses and primary and secondary schools."

　　"This press release shows that the internal views of the U.S. State Department are inconsistent with the truth, which shows that they are not familiar with our actual work." CIUS clarified in the statement that CIUS "is not the headquarters of the Confucius Institute in the United States." There is no connection between any university campus and no participation in the courses, employment or funding of the Confucius Institute in any way, but it has become a symbolic goal. "CIUS has no influence on how American universities operate and manage their own Confucius Institute language programs, let alone'malicious' influence." The statement pointed out.

　　In the statement, CIUS also called for the hope that the U.S. State Department can visit these schools and see with their own eyes, "just as officials of the U.S. Government Accountability Office have already done." "We look forward to sitting down with the Secretary of State to help him understand what happened. This may help stop many rumors about CIUS and the Confucius Institute." CIUS also said that it will update its proposal to help the US State Department coordinate the process and Supervise the visas of Chinese teachers in the United States. In addition, they will continue to help the US State Department coordinate educational efforts to meet Americans’ Chinese language education requirements in an appropriate manner.

　　"We know that there are many pressing issues between China and the United States, but the Confucius Institute is not among them, and we are working hard to maintain this state." The statement said at the end.

　　Previous report: As expected! Pompeo announced the requirement to register the American Center of the Confucius Institute as a "Foreign Mission"

　　After an anonymous person familiar with the matter released the media in advance, on August 13, local time, US Secretary of State Pompeo announced that the Confucius Institute US Center was required to register as a "foreign mission." Reuters said this is the latest sign of the deterioration of relations between Washington and Beijing.

　　According to Reuters, Pompeo claimed in a statement that the Confucius Institute America Center in Washington is "an entity that promotes Beijing's global propaganda and malicious influence activities on American campuses and primary and secondary schools."

　　The Assistant Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific Affairs David Stilwell defended at a press conference that day that this policy does not directly target the various Confucius Institutes in the United States, but the Confucius Institute America Center that coordinates these institutions.

　　According to a Bloomberg report, an unnamed source said earlier that the US State Department would announce on the 13th as early as the 13th that Confucius Institutes established in American universities must be registered as "foreign missions." The person said that this decision means that the Confucius Institute is recognized as an institution "actually owned or effectively controlled by a foreign government" and will be subject to similar administrative requirements as the Chinese embassy and consulate.

　　This is not the first time that the United States has listed relevant Chinese institutions as "foreign missions." In February and June this year, the US State Department listed nine Chinese media as "foreign missions" in two batches. According to the U.S. "Foreign Mission Act", once registered as a "foreign mission", you must report to the US Department of State the list of all staff and properties.

　　Regarding the unprovoked slander of Confucius Institutes by the United States, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated many times that all Confucius Institutes in the United States are voluntarily applied for by American universities. Chinese and American universities have cooperated on the principles of "mutual respect, friendly consultation, equality and mutual benefit". The daily operations and management of all these Confucius Institutes are legal and compliant, open and transparent, and have made important contributions to the promotion of cultural exchanges between China and the United States, and have been widely praised by all parties. Individuals and institutions in the United States have baselessly politicized the Confucius Institute, a normal Sino-US educational exchange project, showing a typical Cold War mentality.