Taiwan concerned over Chinese language program materials in U.K.

London, Dec. 11 (CNA) The Taipei Representative Office in the U.K. has raised concerns to "relevant institutions" after teaching materials used in the country's Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) reportedly depicted Taiwan as part of China.

University College London (UCL), which administers the MEP, said the program has no singular curriculum and that materials in the Mandarin Resources for Schools (MARS) database, which allegedly made the claim, are optional.

However, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph said that some teaching materials depicting Taiwan as part of China were produced by UCL's Institute of Education (IOE).

The MEP receives funding from the U.K. Department for Education (DfE), which supports more than 8,000 students learning Chinese, the department said.

A spokesperson for the DfE told CNA on Tuesday that teaching materials must be accurate, age-appropriate and balanced when political issues are involved.

None of the official MEP materials depict Taiwan as part of China and participating schools are responsible for choosing their own teaching materials, CNA understands.

The IOE operates a Confucius Institute in partnership with Peking University and provides Mandarin-teaching support to U.K. schools, including Chinese teachers.

The MEP webpage is hosted under the IOE Confucius Institute for Schools, and an introductory video states that the database was developed as a unified platform for Mandarin-teaching resources.å

The People's Republic of China (PRC) claims Taiwan as part of China, even though the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has never governed the island.

After being added to a list of CCP-linked organizations by Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) in 2024, Taiwanese citizens have been banned from working at Confucius Institutes under Taiwan's Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.

This is because the institutes are designated as being involved in matters relating to national identity or basic loyalty, Chinese "united front" influence operations, or those which may threaten national security or interests.

Various democratic governments, including those of the United States and the U.K., as well as academics and NGOs, have also voiced concerns in recent years about Confucius Institutes being a potential conduit for Chinese propaganda.