Three Tennessee members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a letter expressing their concern and questioning U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin about federal taxpayer dollars that go to institutions of higher learning with ties to the Chinese government.
Republican Study Committee Chair Jim Banks (R-IN-03) led the letter, also signed by Tennessee U.S. House delegation members Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), and Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04).
In total, 57 members of the U.S. House signed the letter.
“We are writing to you regarding the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government’s influence and infiltration in American universities through Confucius Institutes and other partnerships with PRC universities that may pose a national security risk to American universities and the U.S. research and development enterprise,” the letter said.
The U.S. House members pointed out the concern they have over Chinese-controlled Confucius Institutes on American college campuses, something they’ve addressed by introducing legislation and passing laws.
“The presence of Confucius Institutes on American university campuses has long raised serious concerns about PRC government influence and infiltration in our higher education and research systems, ranging from infringement on academic freedom to illicit technology transfer. In response to these concerns and potential risks, Congress has introduced legislation and passed various laws to address issues surrounding PRC influence on U.S. higher education and research through Confucius Institutes,” they said.
“Most notably, Section 1091 of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) prohibits Department of Defense (DoD) funding for Chinese language instruction provided by a Confucius Institute, and Section 1062 of the FY2021 NDAA went a step further by prohibiting DoD funding for any institution of higher education that hosts a Confucius Institute after October 1, 2023. These provisions pressured most American universities to close Confucius Institutes on their campuses,” they added in the letter.
The members of Congress added that Confucius Institutes are being replaced with other Chinese government-connected organizations.
“Confucius Institutes, however, are far from meeting their demise on our university campuses. According to a recent report by the National Association of Scholars, while 104 of the 118 Confucius Institutes on American university campuses have closed, at least 28 universities have replaced the Confucius Institute with a similar program and 58 have maintained the partnership with the PRC university reached as a part of the agreement with Confucius Institute. The single-most common reason universities give when they close a Confucius Institute is that they are replacing it with a new PRC partnership program,” the letter signees added.
“As the deadline for implementation of Section 1062 approaches we are concerned that the universities have not addressed the concerns about Confucius Institutes and similar programs identified by Congress. We are also concerned about how DoD is preparing to meet its deadlines that would require it to cut off funding to these institutes, including potential funding that might be in the middle of a grant or research cycle,” the U.S. representatives emphasized.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo “Diana Harshbarger” by Diana Harshbarger.Â
Interesting that Rep Mark Green didn’t sign on to the letter. He whines about everything on social media but is the most do nothing rep. He has been a huge disappointment. I’d like to hear of one significant issue that Green has spearheaded or pushed forward. And I’m not talking about his meager efforts for the military and veterans. I know he’s a big tool for military contractors. I’m talking about efforts for all of his other constituents. If he’s working quietly in the background I’d like to hear about it.
AGREED, AGREED, AGREED!!