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Written question asked by Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party) on Friday, 1 September 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 6 September 2023 (named day). It was answered by Robert Halfon (Conservative) on Thursday, 14 September 2023 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Confucius Institutes

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the number of Chinese nationals that are working in Confucius Institutes in the UK; and how many and what proportion of these people have diplomatic immunity.

Answer

The employment of staff within Confucius Institutes is a matter for the UK university at which the Confucius Institute is based and their partner Chinese organisations. We do not hold data on the number of visa holders who work in Confucius Institutes.

Like other international bodies that operate in the UK, Confucius Institutes are required to operate transparently and within the law, and with a full commitment to our values of openness and freedom of expression. The government is taking action to remove any direct or indirect government funding from these institutions in the UK.

Working at a Confucius Institute does not in itself confer any privileges and immunities under the Vienna Conventions. However, it is possible that a spouse of a serving diplomat at the Chinese mission to the UK, who therefore enjoys privileges and immunities on that basis, is employed at a Confucius Institute. The government would not hold such information.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
195762
Session
2022-23
Related items
Department for Education: Written Questions
Thursday, 14 September 2023
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Diplomatic immunity China Confucius Institutes
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk