IDEOLOGY AND EDUCATION IN CHINA: PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE POLICY AT THE INTERSECTION OF STATECRAFT AND STRATEGY

Authors

  • LUÍS FILIPE PESTANA
  • LUÍS PIRES

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26619/1647-7251.DT0126.3

Keywords:

Ideology and Education, Language Policy, Portuguese as a Foreign Language, China

Abstract

This study examines the ideological foundations of foreign language education in the People’s Republic of China, arguing that language planning is inseparable from the state’s ideological strategies and international engagement. Drawing from a historical perspective that traces the evolution of Chinese education from the late imperial period to the present, it demonstrates how educational policy has consistently subordinated intercultural exchange to national interests. Foreign language instruction, rather than reflecting openness or pluralism, is deployed as a strategic instrument, valued for its developmental utility while subject to strict ideological boundaries. The analysis focuses on the political role of education as a means of regulating access to foreign knowledge and maintaining internal cohesion. In this context, foreign languages are approached not as cultural bridges, but as managed resources: imported for diplomatic and economic advantage yet carefully contained to avoid ideological disruption. This dynamic is exemplified by the case of Portuguese, whose rise in China’s academic landscape reflects wider geopolitical and economic shifts rather than cultural demand or educational reform. Its institutional expansion aligns closely with China’s foreign policy interests, especially in relation to Lusophone countries and the symbolic role of Macau. By situating language policy within the ideological architecture of the Chinese state, the article contributes to the study of international education as a form of statecraft. It also underscores the importance of aligning language promotion strategies - such as those pursued by Portugal - with the internal logics and constraints of partner countries. In doing so, it responds to the goals of this special issue by offering a critical, historically grounded account of Sino-Portuguese engagement through the lens of ideology, education, and global positioning.

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Author Biographies

LUÍS FILIPE PESTANA

He completed his bachelor’s degree (2010) and master’s degree (2013) in International Relations at the Catholic University of Portugal. Since 2021, he has been enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Political Science at the Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas. His research focuses primarily on ideology and the Chinese education system, with additional interests in language policy and China’s foreign policy. He has resided in China since 2014, having taught Portuguese at Harbin Normal University (2014–2016) and Beijing Normal University (2016–2023). He currently works for the Instituto Português do Oriente (IPOR, Portugal), serving as the institute’s delegate for Mainland China at its Beijing office. He also holds the position of Education and Culture Attaché at the Embassy of Portugal in Beijing. In addition to teaching Portuguese, he supports the organization of cultural activities, facilitates connections between IPOR and other Camões Institute focal points across Asia, and assists the Embassy in various education- and culture-related functions.

LUÍS PIRES

He is a Senior Instructor in the Department of Portuguese at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Macau (China). He holds a degree in Classical Languages and Literatures from the University of Lisbon and a Master’s in Portuguese as a Non-Native Language from the Open University of Portugal. His academic and professional trajectory includes five years as a Portuguese language lecturer at Tianjin Foreign Studies University, following an invitation from the University of Lisbon. Subsequently, he was appointed by the Camões Institute to Shanghai International Studies University, where he lectured for four years. He later served as Attaché for Education and Culture at the Portuguese Embassy in Beijing, concurrently coordinating the local delegation of the Portuguese Institute of the Orient (IPOR). Luís Pires earned his Ph.D. in Portuguese Studies, with a specialization in Language Policy, from the Open University of Portugal. His research interests focus on language planning, linguistic diplomacy, and the role of Portuguese in multilingual contexts, particularly within the framework of Sino-Lusophone relations.

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Published

2026-02-11

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2, TD2 (2026): Thematic Dossier - Portugal and China in International Relations: Historical Legacies and Contemporary Dynamics

Section

ARTICLES