Confucian ritual

Russia invites China to make cultural cooperation mutual

On the eve of negotiations between the Prime Ministers of Russia and China Vladimir Putin and Wen Jiabao, which begin tomorrow in Moscow, a meeting of the bilateral commission on cultural, scientific and humanitarian cooperation was held in the Russian capital. As a result of its work, protocols on cooperation in the fields of tourism and education were signed. Russian co-chairman of the commission, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, noted the good dynamics of humanitarian exchanges, but at the same time emphasized that interaction in this area should receive “normative and legal reinforcement and be based on the principle of reciprocity.”

In this regard, Mr. Zhukov touched upon the activities of Chinese Confucius Institutes, of which about two dozen have appeared or are being prepared to open in Russia over the past year. “Currently in China there are no cultural and educational institutions funded by the Russian government,” the Deputy Prime Minister clarified. “At the same time, the Chinese government finances the Confucius Institutes being created in Russia.”

Beijing is opening Confucius Institutes at universities around the world: this summer there were about 250 of them, in the coming years their number should grow to half a thousand. They are designed to help the study of the Chinese language and culture, the Confucius Institutes are headed by the State Office of the Steering Group for the International Propagation of the Chinese Language, headed by Ms. Chen Zhili, a member of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. Western analogues - the German Goethe Institute, the Spanish Cervantes Institute and the British Council - served as a model. Let us recall that at the end of 2007, the Russian authorities demanded the closure of regional branches of the British Council in our country, citing the uncertainty of their legal status.

Alexander Zhukov believes that Confucius Institutes have a precarious legal status, since there are no intergovernmental agreements regarding them. But “in relations between such close friends as Russia and China, it is extremely important to have an official legal framework for the activities of cultural centers established by the governments of the two countries.” The Deputy Prime Minister added that non-governmental organizations operating without clear legal grounds “may encounter technical difficulties” in their activities.

Last year, Moscow and Beijing agreed to hold the Year of the Russian Language in China in 2009, and the Year of the Chinese Language in Russia in 2010. Moscow is not against opening Confucius Institutes in Russia, but would like to expand its cultural presence in China. To solve the problem, an agreement is needed to regulate the status of the cultural centers of both countries. “The work on it is still difficult,” said the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, noting that Moscow would prefer that employees of educational centers have diplomatic passports, and Beijing “considers this unnecessary.” Mr. Zhukov also stated “the advisability of joint efforts to achieve real progress in the issue of establishing cultural centers and putting things in order with the legal basis for the activities of Confucius Institutes in Russia.” The ancient Chinese sage himself, who taught people the desire for harmony and compliance with mutual ethical obligations, would probably agree with this thesis.

“The Chinese communists of the first generation saw in those who lived in the 6th-5th centuries BC. Confucius was the ideologist of his class enemies who sought to preserve the feudal order. Now the Communist Party of China, which has declared itself the vanguard of not only the working class, but also the entire nation, is attracting to its side those who respect Confucius within the country and abroad,” Russian sinologist Professor Yuri Galenovich told Vremya Novostey. He noted that Russia's relations with China should be built on three main principles - "non-use of force, respect for independence and equality." “And if dozens of Confucius Institutes are being built in Russia, then in order to promote deep Russian culture and spirituality, we must create the same number of Leo Tolstoy Institutes in China. Moreover, Jiang Zemin, the predecessor of the current leader of the PRC, Hu Jintao, visited Yasnaya Polyana,” recalled VN’s interlocutor.

Alexander SAMOKHOTKIN