U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and four other Republicans sent a letter to President Biden on Wednesday (Feb. 17) urging him to adopt a policy proposal put forward by the Trump administration before he left office aimed at tightening restrictions on Confucius Institutes in China.
The proposed rule would require U.S. colleges, universities, elementary and secondary schools and kindergartens to disclose any agreements, partnerships or financial dealings with Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in China. The provision would also apply to other cultural institutions affiliated with the Chinese government, such as the China Students and Scholars Association.
Although the Trump Administration attempted to introduce the rule, it was not finalized at the Time of the transition and was not submitted to the Federal Register for public notice.
The White House said that similar to what it has done in previous administrations, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain issued a memo on Presidential Inauguration Day freezing all regulatory proceedings, meaning that all regulations that have not completed their consideration are automatically withdrawn and need to be resubmitted.
Earlier reports that the rule was quietly withdrawn by the Biden Administration sparked discontent among many Republicans who see the Biden administration as soft on China.
In a letter to President Biden on Wednesday, four congressional Republicans said they understand that the Trump administration’s proposed rule was not finalized and could be withdrawn by the new administration during a broad assessment of the administration’s policies, but they said the integrity of the U.S. academic system should be a priority agenda and urged Biden to resubmit the rule “as soon as possible. Biden was urged to resubmit the regulations “as soon as possible” and “without delay.
They cited what Biden had said last week about China: “If we don’t act, they will eat our lunch.”
In their letter, they wrote: “Among the various threats we face originating in China, the (Chinese Communist Party‘s) misuse of the U.S. academic system to steal sensitive research and technology, restrict free speech and propagandize against our students is particularly worrisome.”
They said the Confucius Institute, which ostensibly promotes cultural and language programs between the two countries, would actually jeopardize academic freedom on U.S. campuses by requiring the agreement to arrange to be bound by laws enacted by the Chinese Communist Party, censor information on its behalf and create a conflict of interest for the institute’s administrators.
In their letter, the lawmakers said they are willing to work with the Biden administration to develop a bipartisan and government-wide solution to the threat posed by the CCP to U.S. educational and academic integrity.
In addition to Rep. McCarthy, the co-sponsors are Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee; and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-Texas), a senior member of the Education and Labor Committee. Foxx, N.C.).
According to the National Association of Scholars, as of Feb. 17 of this year, 64 Confucius Institutes have closed or are in the process of closing across the U.S. Fifty-five are still in operation, and three of these colleges and universities plan to close their Confucius Institutes this year.
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