China's ideological coercion in academia

It's often difficult to determine the veracity of concerns expressed by U.S. academics related to the academic freedom they believe they have, or should have. Particularly in relation to China, when U.S. and other countries establish partnerships in higher education, the potential for compromise is very significant. On U.S. soil, the Confucius Institutes on many campuses have been questioned with examples as small as censoring a speaker's resume on up to denying publication of a researcher's findings. Infringement can be as small as censoring a speaker's resume to pressure exerted to withdraw or limit access to certain academic journals in China. Others warn that the Confucius Institutes are overt propaganda arms of China and make U.S. institutions vulnerable for theft of intellectual rights and cutting edge scientific discoveries. Whatever reason, numerous U.S. institutions have moved to close their Confucius Institutes.

In an incidental exchange with Senator Marc Rubio at the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Director of the FBI drew attention to Chinese students studying in the U.S. and the Confucius Institutes as being a potential security risk. Responding to its concerns about what students do while studying in the U.S., apparently Chinese Consulates seek information about what students do in the groups that are intended to support them - the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations.

The threat to Chinese professors is obvious. Professor Weguang Sun at Shandong University was involved in an interview with Voice of American when Chinese authorities broke into his home; he protested that he was only exercising his freedom of speech. Whether in China or outside, the potential surveillance of U.S. academic discourse can cause U.S. faculty to avoid commentary to which Chinese students may object. More perniciously, Chinese students studying in the U.S. may report back to Chinese government officials about concerns they have. Perhaps the most negative potential is for the 350,000 Chinese citizens studying in the U.S. who, if they comment/write in their classes in ways their Chinese peers find objectionable, can face repercussions for themselves or their family back in China.

Concerns about academic freedom aren't limited to U.S. institutions and partnerships. A book is soon to be published about Chinese government influence in Australia. The influence of the communist party is feared to have an impact not only on mainland China's academic policies but Hong Kong is being threatened. Perhaps more concerning, institutions in the U.S.A. now believe that Communist Party cells are being established. If academic freedom is curtailed in China or outside, it could negatively impact quality as well as rankings in a system where prestige and prominence is so very important.

Ultimately, China's aspiration to achieve world class status may be undermined by the political intervention and control exerted by the government. Shengbing Li comments, "It will be a huge challenge for Chinese university professors to adapt to a Western knowledge system and take a position of global leadership. The dominance of Western knowledge systems, as well as the corresponding academic norms and research methods, make it very difficult for Chinese university faculty to have a place in the system. Sending a large number of outstanding teachers to the world's top Western universities is just a way to follow or imitate the Western. What is the most important is to develop a free academic culture and open China's academic market to the world."