Philippines seeks tighter scrutiny of China-linked education programs

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro emphasized that public scrutiny and institutional transparency regarding foreign state funding in local education are essential for safeguarding academic integrity and national security. This statement follows an investigation by the U.S.-based think tank SeaLight, which identified China's Jinan University as the primary training destination for Chinese-language teachers working in Chinese-Filipino schools within the Philippines. Notably, scholars associated with Jinan University have previously made territorial claims regarding the northernmost Philippine province of Batanes.

In response, Dai Fan, director of the Center for Philippine Studies at Jinan University, criticized the Philippine authorities in a state-run Global Times article, suggesting they were exaggerating national security concerns and treating Chinese-language education programs as a risk without adequate evidence.

However, the Philippine defense department countered by pointing to China's National Security Law, which mandates cooperation with state intelligence agencies, raising questions about the autonomy of academic exchanges involving Chinese state-linked entities. The department clarified that its security evaluations are intended to combat "foreign malign influence, co-optation, and covert interference" and are not aimed at the Filipino-Chinese community.

The ministry further argued that genuine academic freedom cannot flourish within state-controlled propaganda channels where free speech is suppressed, dissent is criminalized, and historical events, such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and policies affecting Uyghurs, are heavily censored. This marks an unusual instance of a Philippine government agency referencing sensitive issues for Beijing.