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Edmonton Public Schools has renewed a deal to host and administer the Confucius Institute Edmonton — an organization with ties to China’s Communist government that has proven controversial in Western nations.

The five-year deal, inked in Beijing in October, continues the decade-long relationship between the public school district and the Confucius Institute’s Headquarters, known as Hanban.

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Similar arrangements with Canadian school districts and universities have drawn criticism, and some agreements have been terminated when detractors raised concerns about China’s human rights record.

The renewal also comes at a time when tension between Canada and China is escalating. The Chinese government has detained at least two Canadians after Canadian authorities arrested Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of the U.S. government, which finally laid charges against Huawei and Meng Monday.