The Chinese government has sought immediate termination of ties between the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Confucius Institute, noting the former's failure to "fulfil [its] agreement" on the matter. The move comes ahead of an impending decision to be made by the Canadian group next week.

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TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird confirmed to The Star that they received a letter signed by Kevin Wang of the Hunan Provincial Department of Education. It was to take effect October 23, Thursday, the day the letter was sent.

Committee members have been quoted to perceive China's move as "a face-saving measure".

Earlier in October, a TDSB committee voted to end the deal, overwhelming the call of a few members to not make it a political matter. This echoes the pleas made by the Canadian Association of University Teachers late last year, asking officials from universities and colleges to boycott the institute.

With footprints all across the globe, Confucius Institutes are administered by China's Ministry of Education to promote Chinese language and culture. Its partnership with TDSB was originally slated to begin in September, with the Canadian board having already received amounts up to $215,000.

From its early stages, the deal with TDSB has drawn critics who fear that Beijing is using Confucius Institute as a mouthpiece for its political agenda. The organization is accused of censoring, if not ignoring, delicate topics such as the Tiananmen Square massacre and Falun Gong.

In 2011, former Confucius Institute instructor Sonia Zhao testified against the organization saying she was asked to sign a contract that dismisses her Falun Gong beliefs. Host school McMarie University responded by canceling its contract with Confucius Institute.

It is an ongoing battle, but some universities that employ the institution's programs remain firm with their partnerships. An official from Stanford University in the United States was recently quoted to call current accusations against Confucius Institute as "sensational to the point of being ridiculous".

TagsConfucius Institute, Toronto District School Board, Ryan Bird, Falun Gong