TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will push for the establishment of dozens more Mandarin institutions across the U.S. and Europe next year for “strategic objectives,” an official said on Monday (Nov. 7).

At least 25 new Taiwan Centers for Mandarin Learning are being planned in the two regions in 2023 after 23 out of 25 centers were set up this year, said Minister Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) of the Overseas Community Affairs Council at a legislative briefing.

Tung said the U.S. and Europe are the primary targets in a bid to promote Taiwanese-style acquisition of Mandarin due to “strategic concerns,” led by the National Security Council (NSC). He was answering a legislator’s question about a lack of focus on Southeast Asia.

Given the language drive is strategically-oriented, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) urged resources to be invested in Australia, too, which he said is strategically important for Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific. To this, Tung said schools in Australia have expressed interest and relevant plans will be submitted to the NSC for review.

Taiwan embarked on an overseas charm offensive through the promotion of Mandarin learning with Taiwanese characteristics in 2021. This was intended to fill the gap after China’s Confucius Institutes fell out of favor due to espionage, among other concerns. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has described them as “China’s Trojan Horse.”

Taiwan has put in place 43 such centers in the U.S. and Europe by 2022, with the goal of opening 100 institutions by 2025.

China has shifted to building “Luban Workshops” (魯班工坊) in developing countries and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partners to increase its clout. Inspired by Lu Ban (魯班) (507–440 BC), a revered Chinese architect and structural engineer, the workshop is devoted to vocational education and has popped up in 19 countries, according to Voice of America.