ABSTRACT
This chapter presents Confucius Institutes as the most prominent and most controversial instrument of China's public diplomacy. Australian and German case studies confirm earlier assessments as they show that Confucius Institutes in these two developed countries are organised as joint ventures between a Chinese institution and a foreign organisation. The most noteworthy feature of Confucius Institutes is the inbuilt engagement of local stakeholders and their expertise. The political dimension of Confucius Institutes also comes forward with regards to the contents and topics these Institutes address, and do not address. The overall development of Confucius Institutes for the next ten years in this regard should focus on both teaching Chinese language and Chinese culture as well as getting into advanced academic work. The current Hanban/Confucius Institute website, both in Chinese and English, does not mention the One-China policy anymore and even recent internal Hanban documents do not ask foreign partners to acknowledge this policy.
