The invented Chinese reality has invaded Copenhagen Business School (CBS). This is the reality since the start of a new cooperation between CBS and Renmin University in Beijing. This cooperation takes form of a Business Confucius Institute at CBS. This institute manipulates with facts about Taiwan’s current society and promotes a version of Taiwan’s history that can hardly be recognized by historians.
By Michael Danielsen, chairman of Taiwan Corner.
Translated from article in the Danish Newspaper Jyllands-Posten September 15. 2008.
The invented Chinese reality has invaded Copenhagen Business School (CBS). This is the reality since the start of a new cooperation between CBS and Renmin University in Beijing. This cooperation takes form of a Business Confucius Institute at CBS. This institute manipulates with facts about Taiwan’s current society and promotes a version of Taiwan’s history that can hardly be recognized by historians.
CBS is thereby giving name to an institute that promotes wrong facts and blend academic work with propaganda. It is not news in China that one standpoint is promoted while others are censured. But in Denmark this runs against our academic traditions not to support full openness about different points of views.
If we begin with the institute’s videos, it is told that Taiwan is a part China. All with minimal insights into relations in Asia know that this is a very controversial statement with poor historical foundations.
According to the institutes, Taiwan is also a province of the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan is however not a part of the People’s Republic of China and has never been. Actually, Taiwan has only been a part of China from 1885 to 1895.
In addition, the institute writes that Taiwan is represented in China’s People’s National Congress. This is wrong. Taiwan elects its own government and president in democratic and free elections. No Taiwanese politicians are represented in People’s National Congress.
The institute also tries to be historical and tells the story about how Zheng Chenggon “retakes” Taiwan in 1662. This is also wrong. In 1662, Taiwan was Dutch colony and had never been under the rule of China. Chenggong escaped from China and created and independent kingdom.
These distortions creates worries on at least to fundamental issues:
Firstly, it is worrying because Denmark is promoting a China strategy that should lead to a form of education. The intensions are good but the question is what can be actually learned from China when the country falsifies history.
Secondly, it is worrying that CBS apparently does not wish to take upon itself the most important task: to enlighten students in a nuanced and correct fashion. This case does not benefit CBS status and it does not increase the understanding af Taiwan that CBS is supporting a pro-china Confucius institutes which is not able to follow basic academic levels and traditions in Denmark.
