New report shows how China’s CCP is slowly exptending its influence in the US
A recently published report unveils China’s financial reach into numerous public schools within the United States, particularly those in close proximity to around 20 U.S. military bases.
The Parents Defending Education (PDE) research discovered that nearly $18 million in funding was channeled to American schools from the People’s Republic of China. Their report, named ‘Little Red Classrooms’, delves into China’s alleged incursion into U.S. K-12 schools, catering to 5 to 6-year-old children.
Additionally, the report claims that “three of the nation’s top science and technology high schools have ties to Chinese government-affiliated programs.”
Schools in this list include the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Simpson County Public Schools in Kentucky, and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
In light of these revelations, several Republican Representatives and a Senator are urging the Biden administration to grasp the seriousness of the situation. This follows previous reports that the University of Pennsylvania, which houses The Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, was a recipient of sizeable undisclosed donations from China and other foreign entities.
The funding exposed by the PDE investigation appears to stem from the Confucius Institute, an initiative by the CCP purporting to advance the Chinese language and culture, bolster local Chinese instruction worldwide, and expedite cultural exchanges.
The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has prohibited the Pentagon from financially backing ‘institution[s] of higher education that hosts a Confucius Institute’ after October 1, 2023. Consequently, over 100 U.S. universities have shuttered their Confucius Institutes.
Last year, UK security minister Tom Tugendhat articulated to MPs that Confucius Institutes “pose a threat to civil liberties in many universities in the UK” and that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “will be looking to close them.”
Research by the China Research Group indicates that British schools and universities depend on 30 Confucius Institutes, more than any other nation, for Mandarin instruction. PDE President Nicki Neily states that the “alarming evidence” of the U.S. investigation should evoke concern amongst parents, educators, and policy makers.
The report has been shared with state and federal legislators, intending to spur action. It reveals that a nonprofit linked to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology had been bestowed with over $1 million in financial aid from entities tied to the Chinese government over a decade.
“In March, Parents Defending Education uncovered that a nonprofit linked to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology had received more than $1 million in financial aid from Chinese government-affiliated entities over the course of a decade.
“Further research reveals the People’s Republic of China fostered relationships with American K-12 schools through grants, sister school partnerships, and other programming since at least 2009. Parents Defending Education tracked affiliations in 143 schools across 34 states and Washington, D.C.—and at least seven are still active.
“Financial exchanges between K-12 schools and the Chinese government range from a few thousand dollars to, in Thomas Jefferson High School’s case, more than a million dollars. Disturbingly, the Chinese government’s ties appear to target school districts near 20 American military bases.”
Jim Banks, the Republican Representative for Indiana, has called on the Department of Education to take urgent action, penning a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona demanding the dissolution of these “disturbing” partnerships.
Banks expressed to Mail Online that “The Chinese Communist Party is not a trustworthy partner. Accepting funding and influence from our greatest adversary is a threat to America’s children and national security.”
Florida’s Republican Representative Mike Walts expressed his shock at the report, saying, “we truly don’t understand the full extent of Communist China’s meddling in our education system.”
He added that “Not only is the CCP trying to promote their propaganda through education programs but are using Chinese shell companies to outright buy American private schools around the country.”
Echoing similar concerns, Republican Senator for Kansas, Roger Marshall, said, “From buying our farmland to setting up CCP police stations here on U.S. soil, stealing our intellectual property, spying on our military bases, and now buying their way into our children’s K-12 schools, it is past time for this administration to wake up and realize what we are up against.”
Image Credit: NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images
