Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good evening, Mr. Elcock and Mr. Li.
Mr. Li, we are very glad to have you with us. You are now the director of the National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business. You said you applied for the position in 2011. You talked about the institute's three areas of focus: language, culture and assistance.
As I'm sure you know, a number of witnesses have talked to the committee about foreign interference and threats. We have asked you about that. A witness in the previous panel, Paul Evans, likened Confucius institutes to a Chinese propaganda machine.
When you hear comments like that about Confucius institutes, how do you respond?