Politics

China Funneled $17 Million Into U.S. Schools - DC Pols Call For Ban

By Jake Beardslee · July 31, 2023

In brief…

A new report says the Chinese Communist Party has funneled $17 million into US K-12 schools possibly to promote Chinese propaganda.
The report found the CCP has ties to schools near 20 US military bases, raising national security concerns.
Republican lawmakers are urging the Education Department and state governments to terminate programs and block CCP influence in schools.

China has covertly funneled millions of dollars into American K-12 schools according to a new report entitled "Little Red Classrooms." DALL·E 2

A shocking new report claims the Chinese Communist Party has pumped $17 million into American K-12 schools. The money has gone to fund unregulated Chinese cultural and language programs in U.S. schools. The report, entitled “Little Red Classrooms,” by Parents Defending Education, found close collaboration between the CCP and school districts in 34 states and Washington D.C. to set up 143 Confucius Institute-backed classrooms.

In a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Indiana Rep. Jim Banks (R) said the U.S. needs to take “urgent” action to bolster its defenses against China. This includes blocking China’s ability to spread propaganda in American K-12 schools. Banks pointed out that under former President Donald Trump, the State Department had designated Confucius Institutes as foreign missions.

The report uncovered “alarming evidence” that should “concern parents, educators, and policymakers alike,” Nicki Neily, President of Parents Defending Education, said in a statement.

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall (R) told the Daily Mail the report should “alarm” all American parents, particularly because the Chinese Communist Party is focusing efforts on schools located near U.S. military bases. Marshall has proposed legislation that would prohibit federal agencies from providing funding for research in China or “any entity” owned by China.

According to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, the Pentagon cannot provide money to institutions hosting a Confucius Institute after October 2023. Since the law’s passage, more than 100 U.S. universities have closed their Confucius Institutes.

House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher told the Daily Mail the CCP cannot be allowed to “influence the American education system,” adding, “America’s children deserve better.”