英格兰的大学监管机构 the Office for Students 表示，孔子学院项目和中国国家留学基金委（China Scholarship Council，CSC）项目不符合英国法律，应当终止。本页面解释原因。
UK-China Transparency 的研究 [https://ukctransparency.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY-Are-Confucius-Institutes-legal-1.pdf] 调查发现，在孔子学院招聘员工时，存在违反英国法律的歧视行为。英国法律保护政治观点和信仰的多样性，而根据中国政府公开发布的规定，孔子学院在中国的员工招聘会经过中国共产党的政治审查。那些表达或被认为持有中共强烈打压的信念的人，例如支持法轮功、支持民主或支持中国少数民族更大自治权的人，通常无法通过此类审查。然而，正是这种审查程序决定了英国大学接收孔子学院员工的方式，即使英国大学本身依法禁止进行这种政治审查。根据 the Office for Students 的意见，英国议会通过的 Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 意味着大学今后不得通过接收这种在中国被政治审查选拔的员工而参与此类歧视性做法。
在中国国家留学基金委（China Scholarship Council）的案例中，UKCT [https://ukctransparency.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/China-Scholarship-Council-Rules-translation-and-notes-1.pdf] 发现了类似的严格政治审查。例如，申请人必须 “拥护中国共产党的领导和中国特色社会主义制度 […]”。这种政治审查在英国是违法的，因为英国法律保护政治观点和信仰的多样性。然而，英国大学通过中国国家留学基金委项目为成功通过审查的申请人减免学费并提供奖学金。同样，the Office for Students 认为这一情况不符合 Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 的要求。
the Office for Students 的指导文件在第 25 和 26 个示例中讨论了这两种情况 – https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/regulatory-advice-24-guidance-related-to-freedom-of-speech/
ENGLISH VERSION BELOW:
Why is the English universities regulator advising Confucius Institute and China Scholarship Council schemes be closed?
The English universities regulator, the Office for Students, has suggested that the Confucius Institute programme and the China Scholarship Council programme are not in keeping with British law and should be terminated. This page explains why.
Research by UK-China Transparency [https://ukctransparency.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY-Are-Confucius-Institutes-legal-1.pdf] has investigated how, when staff for Confucius Institutes are hired, they are discriminated against in a way that is contrary to British law. British law protects diversity of political opinion and belief, whereas Confucius Institute staff in China are vetted by the Chinese Communist Party, according to the Chinese government’s own published regulations. Those who who express or are known to hold beliefs the CCP strongly represses, such as support for Falun Gong, or support for democracy or greater autonomy for China’s ethnic minorities, are not likely to pass this vetting. This vetting procedure, however, determines how British universities accept staff, even though British universities would be forbidden by law from doing this. According to the Office for Students, the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which was passed by Britain’s democratically elected parliament, means universities can no longer be involved in this kind of vetting by receiving staff from China selected in this way.
In the case of the China Scholarship Council, UKCT found [https://ukctransparency.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/China-Scholarship-Council-Rules-translation-and-notes-1.pdf] similar strict vetting processes. For example, applicants must “Support the leadership of the Communist Party of China and Socialism with Chinese Characteristics; […]”. This kind of political vetting would not be legal in the UK, where there is legal protection for diversity of opinion and belief. Yet British universities waive the student fees of successful applicants by giving them scholarships via the China Scholarship Council scheme. Again, the Office for Students finds that this situation is not compatible with the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.
The Office for Students’ guidance, which explores both cases in examples 25 and 26 – https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/regulatory-advice-24-guidance-related-to-freedom-of-speech/