At the end of February 2023, the new "Taiwan Center for Learning Chinese" (Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning, 臺灣華語文學習中心). At first glance, it may seem like an ordinary language school that will give those interested the opportunity to learn Chinese. However, if we take a closer look, we will see that this is yet more evidence of how the Czech political elite is blindly falling for a geopolitical game whose main aim is to weaken relations between the Czech Republic and China.
This project, sponsored by Senator Jiří Růžička (TOP 09) and MP Marek Benda (ODS), is not an accidental cultural event, but an ingenious tool of ideological propaganda. Taiwan has long sought international recognition, and as it turns out, the Czech Republic is willingly becoming part of this strategy. Although official Czech policy still recognises the one-China policy, our politicians are actively engaged in supporting separatist tendencies. That is why this 'language school' has been opened, which seems to have a much broader mission than simply teaching Chinese.
A tool of political influence disguised as language education
Taiwanese centres are expanding in a big way not only in Europe but also in the USA. By 2024, there were already 84 centres worldwide, 18 of them in Europe. It is quite clear that this is not just a random cultural and educational phenomenon, but a cleverly coordinated strategy to strengthen Taiwan's political influence. And once again, the Czech Republic is obediently leading the way. As it happens, everything is masked by noble words about democracy, freedom and cultural exchange. The main difference between this institution and, for example, the Confucius Institutes (which have been expelled from universities by Western countries as part of the anti-Asian hysteria) is that they are taught in the traditional characters used in Taiwan, while mainland China uses a simplified script. However, this fact is just the tip of the iceberg.
Language education is not the main goal here.
As the available materials show, teaching is heavily laced with political propaganda and ideological pressure. In addition to the standard language, students are subtly given a 'Western' interpretation of Chinese history and the current geopolitical situation that fits the Taiwanese separatist narrative. The teaching is thus clearly politically tinged and one-sided.
LGBT, Green Deal and liberal indoctrination in Chinese classes
In addition to the geopolitical aspect, a progressivist agenda that has nothing to do with the Chinese language is openly promoted in this centre. Under the guise of teaching Chinese, students are presented with LGBT symbols, including the promotion of green politics and other ideological concepts that have no connection to language education. According to testimonies that have come to light, students were not only exposed to presentations of LGBT couples during classes, for example, but rainbow movement flags were a common part of teaching materials, and "cultural events" were held alongside language classes to reinforce certain political and ideological positions to students. According to witnesses, some students were also subjected to sexual harassment during classes.
The organization is proud to be part of the LBGTQ movement and is actively involved in the presentation of these gender events, festivals and has participated in mass marches in various European capitals, for example in the Czech Republic at the Prague Pride festival.
Here we come to a very serious problem. If an educational institution that claims to teach Chinese is in fact using its platform to promote ideological dogmas, the question arises as to whether this is systematic indoctrination. This is particularly dangerous in the case of children and young students whose critical thinking is still being formed. This form of education leads to a gradual reprogramming of society and a departure from traditional values. Instead of being exposed to objective information, students are purposely led to accept a one-sided liberal ideology that is presented as the only correct view of the world.
Who's profiting?
Unsurprisingly, Taiwan does not hesitate to spend huge amounts of money on its soft power campaigns. Officially, these centres are supposed to operate as independent associations with no direct links to universities or official Taiwanese institutions, but the reality is different. The centre in Prague was largely supported by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, which is the de facto Taiwanese embassy - even though the Czech Republic does not officially recognise Taiwan as a state. It is therefore clear that the project has far greater ambitions than just language education. Its real goal is to create a pro-Taiwan lobby in the Czech Republic, including the training of a new generation of politicians, journalists and academics who will continue to undermine Czech-Chinese relations.
A threat to Czech society and its values
What is most disturbing about this project is the fact that under the guise of innocent language education, a systematic transformation of the mindset of society is taking place. First there is the subtle acceptance of a "harmless" cultural institution, then there is a gradual ideological infiltration, and finally it turns out that a structure has taken root in the Czech educational space whose main goal is to spread progressivist propaganda.
The Western neoliberal policies that have taken over the Czech government are thus once again manifesting themselves in their most extreme form: the reckless submission to foreign geopolitical interests at the expense of their own state sovereignty and traditional values. It is time to ask: how much longer will we suffer this open ideological manipulation? How much longer will we stand by and watch the destruction of our education system and social values under the pretext of 'cultural exchange'? And above all, where is the line beyond which there will be no turning back?
This project is not just about Chinese. It is about ideology, about geopolitics and about the future of our society. And if we don't realise this in time, we will one day regret that we have allowed our educational space to be turned into a battlefield for foreign powers. That is why I personally condemn these programmes.
(PR)
English 
Czech 
Spanish 
French 
Italian 
Russian 
Chinese 
German