From a benevolent instrument of soft power to an object of securitization: The case of Chinese Confucius Institutes in Germany (2006–2025)

This paper argues and demonstrates that the effect of instruments designed to project soft power is conditional and reversible when they are revised and reinterpreted through political and security lenses as threats. Drawing on insights from securitization theory, I show that Chinese Confucius Institutes (CIs) become securitized when framed as a threat to academic freedom. Using Germany as a least-likely case, I demonstrate how CIs shifted from being a source of soft power—spreading the Chinese language and culture—to an object of securitization that threatens academic freedom, a core component of the democratic model of governance enshrined in Germany’s constitution. The findings indicate that the CIs’ rapid expansion and institutional integration into German universities (2006-2017) were followed by increasing politicization. The issue has since been widely framed as a security concern, as reflected in reports by Germany’s intelligence agencies and in its first China strategy paper, published in 2023.