There's a _lot_ of aspersions cast here with almost no substance. I've no love for PRC, but how is this meant to be any different from The British Council, rich countries' aid programs, and so on?

Perhaps this article (linked from the OP) can add more context: https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/02/05/rub...

The United Kingdom is an allied Western democracy.

Not to most of the countries where there's a British Council branch.

Imagine Congress fearing that a Chinese kid dressed in Supreme with a GT-R is a secret agent for spreading Communism to America.

>for spreading Communism to America.

if anything, china is more capitalist than us, at least when it comes to (the lack of) regulations.

They have regulations, they are just selectively enforced.

Reading that reminded me how I felt some years ago to learn that a United States Studies Centre was to be opened at Sydney Uni.

Indeed, but the US are our 'allies'.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/chinese-spies-at-sydney-unive...

Thanks for that, interesting. Gee, that sounds awful. Well, it reminded me of the 'cultural' propaganda work the CIA did in the mid-to-late 20th C—the Congress for Cultural Freedom etc.