[Recently, more] than 100 faculty members at the [University of Chicago] called for the [China-run] Confucius Institute at the [university] to be discontinued.
The institute had too much influence in determining “what’s worth teaching, what’s worth researching” and “what counts as knowledge,” Bruce Lincoln, a professor of the history of religions at the university’s Divinity School and an organizer of the petition, told The Chicago Maroon, the college newspaper, in early May.
A news article in a Chinese daily praised the swift and strong disciplining of the rebellious U of C by Xu Lin, the apparatchik who runs the institutes.
“Many people have felt Xu Lin’s toughness,” The Jiefang Daily wrote admiringly, citing a letter it said Ms. Xu wrote to the University of Chicago’s president in response to the petition.
“In just one sentence she said, ‘Should your college decide to withdraw, I’ll agree,’” the article said. In Chinese, that sentence carries connotations of a challenge. It continued: “Her attitude made the other side anxious. The school quickly responded that it will continue to properly manage the Confucius Institute.”
Uh, right away, party leader!
… But no. On reflection, the University of Chicago decided it didn’t want to attend the party at all.
Join the crowd.