Tide Turns Against Beijing-Backed Confucius Institutes on American Campuses

A pedestrian passes by on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis on April 9, 2019. The university closed its Confucius Institute in 2019. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

A growing number of Confucius Institutes are closing across U.S. college campuses amid concerns over their threats to academic freedom.

While billed as Chinese language and culture centers, Beijing-funded Confucius Institutes have drawn mounting criticism in the United States and elsewhere over its role in stifling free speech and promoting Chinese propaganda and influence in academic institutions.