Beijing: China’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday that it hoped the government-funded Confucius Institute could continue to play a role in South Korea after the government there said it had stopped issuing visas for some Chinese teachers. The visa decision comes amid anger in China at the planned deployment of an advanced US anti-missile system in South Korea, which it says is to defend against North Korea, but which China says threatens its security, as its radar could extend into China.
China says its Confucius Institutes around the world are established by universities to promote Chinese-language learning and academic and cultural exchange.
The South Korean government said it had stopped issuing visas for some Chinese teachers at Confucius Institutes and the justice ministry said the decision had nothing to do with Thaad, as the anti-missile system is known.
South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Thursday the measure to stop issuing or extending visas had been implemented since last June for practical reasons based on the immigration control law, playing down any political motive.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Confucius Institutes in South Korea were set up at the request of South Korean universities.
