The U.S. and Europe May No Longer Want Confucius Institutes, But That is Not the Case in Africa

Chinese and Djiboutian officials mark the opening of the new Confucius Institute. Image via Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Chinese language and cultural centers known as Confucius Institutes long fell out of favor in the United States and Europe, where critics accused the Chinese government-backed initiative of being a vector for propaganda.

That is not the case in Africa, where Djibouti celebrated the opening of the 55th CI on the continent. (CHINESE EMBASSY IN DJIBOUTI)

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China’s relations across the Global South.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Eric Olander

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3 From J-10C to Kaan? Indonesia’s Fighter Jet Deal With Turkey Shocks Chinese Military Fans
4
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
5
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
6
Uncertainty Roils Minerals Markets

You Might Like

While Kenyan Parents Worry About Their Kids’ Schooling During Lockdown, the Country’s Education Head Thinks This is a Good Time Talk About Everyone Learning Chinese

The topic of Mandarin language instruction is extremely sensitive in Kenya even during good times, so you can imagine the reaction that Education Chief Secretary George Magoha received this weekend when he hinted ...

China Now the Top Destination for African Students, Says New Report

China is surging ahead of France, the United States and the United Kingdom to become the top destination for African students seeking to study abroad, according to new data from ...

A Group of South African Tourist Guides Graduated From a Chinese Language and Culture Program… But There’s One Small Problem Though

16 tour guides in South Africa graduated on Friday from a six-week program that taught them Chinese language and culture in the hope they’ll be able to better support ...

Senegalese Government Officials Are Ready to Say 你好 (Hello) to Thousands of Chinese Visitors Attending Next Week’s FOCAC

Dozens of Senegalese officials from throughout the government have completed a Chinese language and culture training program at the University of Dakar’s Confucius Institute in preparation for next week’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP