Rep. Paul Gosar (D-CA) attends a hearing in Washington, D.C. on July 28.
U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (D-CA) on Thursday (April 1) unveiled a bill aimed at exposing the Confucius Institute and other Communist Chinese foreign influence programs in the United States.
The Higher Education Transparency Act (HETA) requires full transparency from foreign entities on U.S. campuses to expose Communist Party-funded Confucius Institutes (CIs) and other programs disguised as cultural and language programs that infiltrate U.S. college campuses. foreign programs disguised as cultural and language programs that infiltrate U.S. college campuses.
According to Gosar, these foreign entities “are seeking to exert influence on U.S. college campuses.
As “language and cultural centers” for foreign propaganda, Beijing-funded Confucius Institutes have come under scrutiny for serving as propaganda tools for the Chinese Communist Party on university campuses around the world, stifling academic freedom.
According to a report (pdf) by the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Investigations, these institutions are funded and staffed primarily by Hanban. Hanban is directly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
Under the Trump (Trump) administration, Confucius Institutes have come under intense scrutiny by U.S. officials because they fear they spread communist ideas, restrict academic freedom, and facilitate Chinese Communist spying in U.S. classrooms.
“Confucius Institutes at U.S. colleges and universities are spreading Chinese Communist propaganda.” The Republican lawmaker said in a tweet announcing the bill.
According to the National Association of Scholars (NAS), as of March 25, there are currently 50 Confucius Institutes in the United States, including eight that are scheduled to close. Of those, 44 are at U.S. colleges and universities; one is at the China Institute, a private educational institution; and five are in K-12 public school districts.
In addition, 74 such institutions have closed or are in the process of closing to date, according to NAS data.
“Institutions of higher education (IHEs) are the stepping stones for developing the minds of America’s future leaders. It is important that colleges and universities are places of intellectual provocation where foreign influence, including those with ties to communist regimes, is not allowed to exist.” Gosar said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, foreign entities masquerading as cultural and educational institutions pose many concerns for our public universities in terms of academic freedom and autonomy.” He continued.
The Confucius Institute “serves as a platform to advance China’s (Communist Party) political agenda – exporting its censorship; controlling academic staff; selecting curricula and limiting freedom of expression and debate in university classrooms.” Gosar said.
The congressman’s office also noted that the Department of Education found in February of last year (2020) that more than $6 billion in gifts and contracts from China (Communist Party of China), Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were not reported by U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs), in violation of the Higher Education Act.
Gosar’s office said the failure to comply with reporting requirements “undermines transparency and academic freedom.” The new bill would address these issues by requiring institutions of higher education (IHEs) that sign agreements with foreign sources to provide language and cultural instructional resources and services to their students to post all agreements in their entirety online, as required.
“Students educated at our colleges and universities should have transparency (the right to know) when choosing the institutions they plan to attend and the programs they wish to enroll in.” Gosar added.
Confucius Institutes Change Signs
NAS warns that while Confucius Institutes may be closing in the United States, they are “restructuring and rebranding. Through this strategy, Confucius Institutes can escape the public eye and continue to function as Communist “soft power” on U.S. campuses. For example, the Asia Society, a private nonprofit organization that co-sponsors the K-12 version of the Confucius Institutes, has renamed its program the Chinese Language Partner Network (CLPN). “The Asia Society, a private nonprofit that co-sponsors the K-12 version of the Confucius Institute, has renamed its program the Chinese Language Partner Network.
NAS senior expert Rachelle Peterson notes that some universities are replacing their Confucius Institutes with other similar forms of cooperation with the Communist regime. Many of these newly formed CCP-centric programs retain some of the Confucius Institute’s staff and programs.
The University of Michigan continues to receive funding from Hanban after closing its Confucius Institute.
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