(TibetanReview.net, Jun16’26) – Confucianism was violently suppressed during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), Mao Zedong viewed Confucian traditions as oppressive tools of feudalism that promoted strict obedience to authority and hindered the mass revolutions necessary for modern communism. But now, under the party-directed capitalist China of today, Confucian education is not only being used as an instrument for spreading the country’s soft power abroad but has also become a destructive tool for assimilating or Sinicizing Tibet.
Confucian education is now being sought to be implemented across Tibet, with a start being made at the 110 schools and 45 institutions in Namling County of Shigatse City, reported the Tibetan-language tibettimes.net Jun 15.
The drive is being carried out in the name of inheriting and promoting the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation to strengthen national unity.
The report cited a Tibetan source with knowledge of the development as saying a Confucius Institute has also been established in Shigatse City with the stated purpose of preserving and promoting the traditional culture of the Chinese nation, as well as promoting ethnic unity and progress.
While Shigatse is the first prefecture-level City in which a Confucius Institute has been established so far, others are expected to come up in capital Lhasa and other parts of Tibet autonomous Region, as well as other historical Tibetan areas under Chinese rule in the near future, the source has said.
Over the last several years, the vast majority of Confucius Institutes set up in Western democracies in collaboration with universities and schools were forced to close due to political and academic concerns. Despite the closures, China has quietly reopened dozens of similar academic partnerships under new names.