The German University of Trier will suspend all activities of the Beijing-controlled Confucius Institute (CI) on its campus, coming after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sanctioned European agencies and individuals who expressed support for oppressed Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang Province. The university in a recent statement expressed concern over recent steps taken by the Chinese regime “to restrict freedom by imposing sanctions on numerous scholars throughout Europe and also on the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS).” “The freedom of research and teaching is an invaluable asset,” the statement read. “The Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany explicitly emphasizes this freedom in Article 5.” The university described its decision to suspend the operation of its partnering CI as “a sign of protest and solidarity towards colleagues at home and abroad who are affected by the sanctions.” In March, the Chinese regime proclaimed retaliatory measures against 10 Europeans and four …