The institutions of higher learning refused to register Confucius Institutes in a foreign influence disclosure system. (photo from Sydney Morning Herald)
The federal government`s foreign impact disclosure system was soon put to the test-Australian universities refused to register their Confucius Institutes, which are the focus of the new system.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 13 colleges and universities in Australia have been warned that the Confucius Institute they run may be applicable to the new system, but no institutions of higher learning have been registered. The move could trigger government to investigate Confucius Institutes through the newly awarded authority and force schools to enroll.
The foreign impact disclosure system is one of the measures taken by the federal government to combat foreign interference and influence. Government sources and independent experts told the Sydney Morning Herald and the Times that it was clear and logical that the Confucius Institute had become a priority under the new system.
A total of 13 colleges and universities in Australia and a large number of other institutions received direct notification from government.
However, (University of Sydney), University of Sydney, Melbourne University, (University of Melbourne), Greaves University, (Griffith University), Queensland University of Science and Technology, (QUT), Charles Darwin University (Charles Darwin University) and Newcastle University (University of Newcastle) say, The bill has been taken into account and the school is not required to register.
The University of Western Australia, (UWA) speaker, said it would comply with the bill, but "so far, the Confucius Institute of the University of Western Australia has not held any registration activities."
The University of Queensland, (University of Queensland) speaker, said the school "has been taking steps to ensure compliance".
(RMIT), the Royal University of Technology in Melbourne, said it was "currently working to improve understanding" of the new system, while UNSW (UNSW) said it had been ensuring compliance with all law obligations.
(La Trobe University), (Victoria University), of Victoria University, and (University of Adelaide), University of Adelaide, declined to comment.
In response to comments from schools, legal minister Porter (Christian Porter) said the registration was a matter for entities to consider, and that government could take a variety of measures. "multiple agencies are considered to be in this category," he said, and the grace period is now over.
The deputy director of the law department will first require further information from the agency; mandatory disclosure notices will be issued if the department thinks colleges and universities should be registered. If schools continue to defy orders, they face high fines.
The New State Education Department is also reviewing the agreement between the state government and China`s Hanban Office to launch Confucius classrooms in primary and secondary schools in Xinzhou. (Zhai Longwei)
