The Sage as Strategy: Nodes, Networks, and the Quest for Geopolitical Power in the Confucius Institute

China's “Confucius Institute” (CI) project, which has sought to establish Chinese language programs around the world, has been widely criticized as strengthening China's geopolitical influence. This essay will examine the impact of the Ci project by drawing upon Castells's theory of cultural nodes, which explores the power dynamics between and among nations in a global, technologically oriented society. Specifically, the essay will argue that the Confucius Institute project's greatest impact lies not as a propaganda device, but rather in the attempt to develop a network of “Confucian nodes,” or sites of symbolic Chinese cultural capital, to enhance the geopolitical influence of China.