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School superintendent Patricia Gartland defended the trip on Friday, saying Coquitlam’s Confucius Institute provides a vital cultural exchange in a globalized world.

She said the intent of the trips was to learn about the culture and meet officials at sister schools in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou.

“We already have a Confucius Institute. So we had the opportunity to apply for a grant (for the trip), and I don’t see a problem with taking that opportunity,” said Gartland.

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“It’s important for students and educators to exchange ideas, and that bilateral exchange will change the world for the better. And I think the Confucius Institute plays an important role in that.”

Former Vancouver school board chair, Patti Bacchus, says she’s uncomfortable with elected school officials taking freebies from Hanban, and called for clear provincial guidelines on taking handouts from foreign governments.

Palmer Isaak, who went on the trip to China, would not discuss the ethics of taking foreign-government-funded trips, and referred calls to Gartland, who organized this year’s journey.

Gartland said the Confucius Institute is an extracurricular program that runs a Mandarin school outside of school hours. The students pay their own fees.

She applied to Confucius Institute for a grant to send school teachers and administrators on a trip to China, so they can help their students learn more about the country and culture, adding she would again in the coming years.