UK PM Rishi Sunak is looking to close the Confucius Institutes, says security minister

Speaking in the House of Commons, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat confirmed that UK's new PM Rishi Sunak will be closely looking at Confucius Institutes in the UK for security concerns.

Tugendhat said, "Confucius Institutes pose athreat to civil liberties in many universities in the United Kingdom and he will be looking into closing them."

BREAKING: Security Minister Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) has just confirmed that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak "will be looking to close" Confucius Institutes in the UK. pic.twitter.com/tMzrkezk8E — Sam (@EditorBTB) November 1, 2022

Alleged to be used as a wayof controlling the behaviour of Chinese students on the behalf of the country, the Conficuous Institutessay they're there set to promote the understanding of contemporary China among people.

The announcement follows the widespread concerns about some extra-judicial Chinese government operations happening in the country.

Rishi Sunak had in July tweeted that he willclose all 30Confucius Institutes in the UK if he becomes the prime minister.

2/ I would close all 30 of China’s Confucius Institutes in the UK - the highest number in the world.

Almost all UK government spending on Mandarin language teaching at school is channelled through university-based Confucius Institutes, thereby promoting Chinese soft power. pic.twitter.com/RAWf0WsKRS — Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) July 25, 2022

Watch |Ban on Chinese institutes at UK universities drawn up after Rishi Sunak's pledge to scrap them

In the last week of October, concerns over Loon Fung'stakeaway in Glasgowwasalleged to be the base for secretive police, working for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), The National reported.

Referring to these concerns, the Scottish First minister Nicola Sturgeon acknowledged the concerns and said that she has already discussed the matter with Glasgow's Chief Constable ofPolice. She said, "I agree that these reports are deeply concerning and I want to be very clear that we take them extremely seriously." She added that any foreign country operating in Scotland mustabide by Scottish laws.

The new UK PM Rishi Sunakhad inhis election campaign pledged to close down all 30Confucius Institutes in the UK. The prime minister was earlier defeated by Liz Truss in the elections but was later designated as the PM after Truss resigned amid an economic crisis in the country. If done so, will this be a turning point in UK-Chinarelations?

(With inputs from agencies)

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