Beijing uses Confucius to lead charm offensive – Geoffrey York

From The Globe and Mail:

The latest symbol of China’s relentless drive for global superpower status will be unveiled on a street in downtown Vancouver this fall.It has a harmless-sounding name: the Confucius Institute. But it represents a dramatic change in China’s overseas strategy. Under the guidance of President Hu Jintao, who arrived in Ottawa yesterday, China is shifting to a charm offensive to expand its global influence.