Now the Chinese embassy is breaking the silence Call the fact check of how Chinese language schools in Sweden spread Communist Party propaganda with the help of tax money. According to the Chinese embassy, it is the facts that are taught and other countries should not get involved in geopolitical affairs such as the conflict in the South China Sea.
– We welcome reminders and criticism of benevolence, but we resolutely oppose malicious criticism, says the embassy’s education consul Huang Liqiong in the interview with Kalla fakta’s reporter.
Last week, Cold facts revealed how at least five Chinese language schools in Sweden spread Communist Party propaganda. Today, the Foreign Policy Institute published a report who examined the same phenomenon. There they find strong connections to the Communist Party in six more language schools, a total of eleven out of thirteen investigated.
Among other things, teachers are allowed to go on paid training camps and children’s textbooks teach that disputed territories such as Taiwan and islands in the South China Sea belong to China. In several cases, schools receive textbooks from the Chinese embassy.
“Other countries should not get involved”
– As for the South China Sea and its islands, they also belong to China. We oppose countries outside the region interfering in affairs between countries in the region, says Huang Liqiong and continues.
– Since it is a fact, I don’t think there is any problem in teaching it to students.
The Chinese Embassy assures that all language schools are free to follow their own path. An article from China’s state news agency Xinhua in 2017 says instead that the independence of language schools will be limited through new regulations on curricula, books and teacher requirements.
When Kalla fakta’s reporter shows the article to Huang Liqiong, he says he doesn’t know about it before.
Model schools are appointed by the party
Kallafakta’s review has also shown how at least four language schools in Sweden received the honorary award “model school” from the so-called Unity Front. The United Front is part of the Chinese Communist Party which, among other things, works to influence the image of China and to control people of Chinese background who live abroad.
Can you be a model school if the school is critical of the Communist Party?
– Getting the honor of being a model school for Chinese language teaching is because the teachers taught well and students learn well, says Huang Liqiong.
Is it considered that teachers have taught well and students have learned well if they teach what you consider to be incorrect facts about Taiwan and the South China Sea?
– I think that a teacher teaches well when he teaches students according to the facts and influences the students in the right way.