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Random Thoughts (24): The United States is Also Afraid of \"Sinicization\" — A Newspaper Review by Lu Wenbin. The purpose of Confucius Institutes is to help people around the world learn Chinese, understand Chinese culture, strengthen educational and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries, and foster friendship among people from different nations. However, there are certain political forces in American society that have been constantly criticizing the Confucius Institutes and slandering their teaching activities. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher accused China of \"propaganda\" through private media and public education. We often talk about preventing \"Westernization,\" and it seems that Americans are also afraid of the influence of Eastern civilization on the United States, afraid of \"Easternization\" as well! Recently, the U.S. State Department issued a policy requiring Chinese teachers at Confucius Institutes holding J-1 visas in that country to leave by June 30. When people make a side-by-side comparison, they can see something odd: cultural exchange institutions in the United States such as Germany’s Goethe Institute and France’s Alliance Française do not need to be accredited by the U.S. Here is an excerpt from a report published by Phoenix News at 4:18 on May 24, 2012, based on information from People’s Daily: According to a statement issued by the U.S. State Department on May 17, Chinese teachers at Confucius Institutes who hold J-1 visas in that country will be required to leave by June 30. The U.S. side says it will not renew their visas ； If they wish, they can return to China and apply for an appropriate exchange program visa. All sectors in the United States are generally shocked, confused, and puzzled by this. An article on the U.S. website “Higher Education News” on the 21st stated that this order will disrupt the teaching activities of Confucius Institutes. The most puzzling aspect is that U.S. authorities require so-called “accreditation” for Confucius Institutes. The announcement states: “Currently, the State Department is reviewing the academic credentials of Confucius Institutes... Confucius Institutes must obtain certification from the United States in order to conduct teaching at their affiliated universities.” ”The U.S. side stated that, based on the preliminary findings, \"there is no clear evidence indicating that these colleges have received U.S. accreditation\"” ； The reason for requiring U.S. certification is to ensure that education meets and maintains the relevant established standards. People familiar with the matter told reporters that Confucius Institutes do not award credits or degrees. In other words, Confucius Institutes do not have the prerequisite for accreditation ； To date, U.S. officials have also never specified to whom Confucius Institutes should seek accreditation. In a horizontal comparison, cultural exchange institutions in the United States such as Germany’s Goethe Institute and France’s Alliance Française do not need to be accredited by the U.S. The heads of the United States’ first Confucius Institutes – the Confucius Institute at the University of Maryland and the Confucius Institute at George Mason University – told reporters that they were confused by this new requirement from U.S. authorities, and that their institutions are in the process of discussing and negotiating regarding the matter of \"accreditation\". People don’t understand why the U.S. State Department suddenly introduced such rules; “after all, Confucius Institutes have been present on American campuses for nearly 10 years.” As the head of the **Hanban** pointed out, the purpose of Confucius Institutes is to help people around the world learn Chinese, understand Chinese culture, strengthen educational and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries, and foster friendship among people from these countries. The Confucius Institutes in the United States are established through voluntary applications by the U.S. side, and the headquarters provides all forms of assistance to these institutes, including the dispatch of volunteers, at the request of the U.S. side. Chinese volunteers overcame various difficulties and provided enthusiastic service, earning widespread approval from the schools they worked at and the parents. In the joint establishment of Confucius Institutes, universities from China and the United States have worked together to achieve remarkable results, making significant contributions to promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries. Confucius Institutes have been established in more than 350 educational institutions across 106 countries, with Confucius Classrooms in primary and secondary schools growing even faster, now numbering over 500. Since the end of 2004, when the University of Maryland became the first U.S. institution to establish a Confucius Institute in partnership with Nankai University in China, there are now 81 Confucius Institutes and over 300 Confucius Classrooms in U.S. schools, of which 127 are classrooms affiliated with Confucius Institutes. However, there are indeed some political forces in American society that have been constantly criticizing Confucius Institutes and disparaging their teaching activities. On March 28 of this year, during a hearing held by the House Committee on Oversight and Investigations on the \"costs of China’s public diplomacy,\" Congressman Dana Rohrabacher accused China of \"conducting propaganda\" through private media and public education.