From Soft Power to Soft Exit: Why 6 Australian Universities Shut the Door on CCP-Backed Confucius Classrooms

6 out of 13 Confucius Institutes in Australia have closed after the CCP deployed the program across Australian universities about 20 years.

Students seen at the University of Newcastle's Callaghan campus in New South Wales, Australia on March 24, 2025. Roni Bintang/Getty Images

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to infiltrate and exert soft power on Australia’s academic system is losing steam after six major universities quietly shut down their Confucius Institutes.

This comes as Western democracies, including Australia, become increasingly alert to the CCP’s tactics to influence young, impressionable minds with socialist ideology.

The closures began during the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerated in the past year.

Confucius Institutes are CCP-funded cultural programs set up on the grounds of universities that purport to teach Chinese culture, but have been criticised for disseminating censored content and promoting Beijing’s soft power.

Which Universities Have Shut Down Their Programs?

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) was the first Australian university to close its Confucius Institute after cancelling an affiliated Chinese medicine program with the CCP sponsored organisation in 2021.

This was followed by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in 2022, and the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2023.

While the University of Adelaide was reported to have ended cooperation with the Confucius Institute, it has not officially confirmed or denied the move.

Meanwhile, Confucius Institutes at the University of Melbourne and University of Queensland were closed in 2024 after their contracts expired.

Students walking along at the University of Queensland's (UQ) St. Lucia campus in Brisbane, Australia on on March 6, 2023. Daniel Y. Teng/The Epoch Times

Since the CCP deployed the Confucius Institute program in Australia, 13 such institutes have been established nationwide.

With the closure of six Confucius Institutes by major Australian universities, seven still remain at the University of Sydney, University of Newcastle, Queensland University of Technology, Griffith University, La Trobe University, Victoria University, and Charles Darwin University.

Why Were They Shut?

Universities have cited various reasons for ending their Confucius Institute partnerships.

In 2021, the RMIT said it was due to a decline in student demand for the Chinese medicine program. At the time, the university said its decision was not influenced by third parties.

Meanwhile, UWA said the operation of its Confucius Institute was ceased due to ongoing disruptions caused by the border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The university also said it had found a replacement for the Chinese language programs offered by the Institute.

“The university recognises the importance of Asian language skills, as highlighted by successive government reports, and remains committed to improving Australia’s Asia literacy,” a UWA spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

“UWA has expanded its Chinese studies program to meet the demand for language education, negating the need to pursue a new agreement for a Confucius Institute.”

The University of Adelaide did not comment on the status of its Confucius Institute, but said it would continue to maintain its commitment to language and cultural studies.

“The University of Adelaide continues to deepen [its] understanding of the global community through its commitment to language and cultural studies, as well as fostering connections with other countries, including China, through partnerships, research, and education collaboration,” a University of Adelaide spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

A general view of the University of Adelaide, May 3, 2017. AAP Image/David Mariuz

A University of Queensland spokesperson said its Confucius Institute closed after its contract with Tianjin University expired on Dec. 31, 2024.

“All partners of [the] Confucius Institute and other stakeholders were notified ahead of its closure,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

The university also noted that it had not received any direction from the government concerning the Institute.

“[The] University of Queensland remains committed to fostering its global partnerships with leading institutions around the world, including with China, in the areas of foreign language teaching, student mobility and enrolments and research,” the spokesperson said.

Regarding potential impending closures, the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is still hosting its program. However, the university said its contract would expire in 2025 and be subject to review as per government requirements.

“QUT will review all agreements in line with Australian government policy and available resources prior to the end of the current contract during this year,” a QUT spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

A large logo of the Queensland University of Technology at its Gardens Point campus adjacent to the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia on Feb. 16, 2025. Daniel Y. Teng/The Epoch Times

“We have always and will continue to comply with all requirements of DFAT [Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade].”

The Epoch Times has reached out to the University of Melbourne and UNSW for comment.

Nothing Beijing Can Do About It: Expert

Feng Chongyi, an associate professor in China Studies at the University of Technology in Sydney, said the original intention behind establishing Confucius Institutes was to deepen ties between Australia and the CCP.

“The reason why they established Confucius Institutes was to show goodwill toward the Chinese government, to get funding from the Chinese government, to recruit Chinese students, and to set up cooperative projects in China,” he told The Epoch Times.

However, the associate professor noted that there had been a major shift in the West’s attitude toward Confucius Institutes after 2017-18, with Australia, United States, and other democracies introducing a range of laws to safeguard against its covert operations, including Australia’s foreign interference laws.

“Now that laws have come out, the Confucius Institute has become a liability. However, many universities have not shut them down immediately to avoid directly offending China,” he said.

“Instead, the usual practice is to wait until the contracts expire and not renew them, finding various reasons not to extend the contracts.”

The closure of the Confucius Institutes across Australian universities has dealt a blow to the CCP’s ambition to exert influence in the country.

“They’re powerless. There’s nothing the CCP can do about it. Even if they want to get angry, there’s no place for them to vent their anger,” Feng said.

The International Building at Griffith University where the Tourism Confucius Institute operates on the Gold Coast campus. Southport, Queensland Dec. 27, 2018 Richard Szabo/The Epoch Times

Australia Could Move Faster: Activist

While universities are taking action, some experts believe the Australian government could do more.

In February 2023, the Labor government announced it would not approve new Confucius Institutes and would scrutinise existing ones following a parliamentary report into foreign influence and interference at universities.

Nevertheless, Lin Bin, a Hong Kong democracy advocate and media commentator with a Ph.D. in political science, said Australia can move faster.

“They should have acted sooner. The CCP’s infiltration is still quite severe, and the Australian government has been responding too slowly,” he told The Epoch Times.

“I believe the Australian government should do more, especially in terms of counterintelligence. The counterintelligence agencies should be putting more resources—manpower, materials, and finances—into combating CCP influence in Australia.”

In addition, Lin called on Australian universities to look for other markets for development to avoid becoming financially over-reliant on Chinese students.

“They shouldn’t focus solely on China. Instead, Australian universities should look toward more democratic countries with shared values of freedom and democracy—countries that align with Australia’s principles,” he said.

What Are Confucius Institutes?

Confucius Institutes are “non-profit education institutions” sponsored by the communist regime that operate outside China via partnerships with international universities and schools.

They offer a range of free workshops and programs as well as paid language courses for local students.

While Beijing claims the program’s purpose is to promote Chinese language and culture, its operating model reveals otherwise.

“The Confucius Institutes use textbooks from China, send [their own] Chinese teachers, and operate under a dual management system from the beginning,” Feng stated.

“The teachers were sent and selected by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

“Therefore, it [the CCP] was essentially putting China’s united front and propaganda machinery inside these campuses.”

Protesters demonstrate outside the Toronto District School Board, urging the board not to implement a Confucius Institute program in Toronto schools, in Toronto, Canada, on Jan. 11, 2014. Allen Zhou/The Epoch Times

In 2017, Canada-based filmmaker Doris Liu produced the documentary film “In the Name of Confucius” to expose the controversies around the CCP’s sponsored program.

Meanwhile, Lin said Confucius Institutes served as a means of ideological infiltration for the CCP.

“The goal is to promote the CCP’s political views, its version of Chinese history, and its values to Australian students—essentially bringing the CCP’s narrative to Australia,” he said.

“The CCP’s narrative is politically biased, subjective, and unjust.

“[Confucius Institutes] undermine the normal functioning of Australian universities and, in the long run, threatens academic freedom.”

Cindy Li contributed to this article.