Washington DC, September 13 :
On September 10, the 'DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act' was passed by the US House of Representatives in an effort to diminish Chinese influence in American institutions. According to a statement released by the US Department of Homeland Security, the measure was introduced by August Pfluger, who is the chairman of the US House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence.
Confucius Institutes are being used by the Chinese Community Party to sabotage American university campuses, steal intellectual property, promote communist propaganda, instal Chinese dissidents, steal intellectual property, and send sensitive material back to the People's Liberation Army. Pfluger stated that this measure safeguards students and universities by preventing the use of American resources to support harmful influence from outside sources.
This measure will limit DHS financing to an IHE that has a relationship with a "Chinese entity of concern" or "Confucius Institute," according to the official Gazzate of the act provided by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday.
An institution in China is considered a "Chinese Entity of Concern" under a US House of Representatives act if it follows these criteria: it must be involved in military-civil fusion, be a part of China's defense industrial base, have ties to China's State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for the National Defense, receive funding from an organization subordinate to the Central Military Commission of the CCP, or provide support to an intelligence, security, police, or government agency in China.
A "Confucius Institute" is also a cultural institution that receives funding from the Chinese government, either directly or indirectly. According to the DHS statement, "The CCP uses Confucius Institutes to spread their programme, steal intellectual property and research from universities, recruit spies and conduct surveillance within the homeland, and harass and target dissidents of the CCP."
The fact that these institutes were probably being utilized to steal American research and achieve other strategic aims of the CCP was confirmed during a hearing in May 2023 by Jill Murphy, the FBI's deputy assistant director of counterintelligence, which led to the inspiration of the act.
Speaker Mike Johnson of the United States House of Representatives also spoke out, saying, "As higher education continues to be plagued by radical agendas and indoctrination, I commend Rep. Pfluger's leadership in ensuring the Chinese Communist Party does not interfere with American students' education."
Furthermore, John Moolenaar, who chairs the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, has previously stated, "The CCP seeks to exert its influence over all aspects of American society, and that includes the American education system." The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) employs Confucius Institutes to give American colleges financial incentives to remain in good standing with the Party while also promoting a skewed image of China. These universities represent the CCP's "soft power," expanding its influence onto American university campuses, in contrast to the "hard power" of missiles and ships. See, the Chinese Communist Party's goal in funding Confucius Institutes is to influence American youth, whether it's through physical means or through social media platforms like TikTok.
Additionally, he emphasized that American taxpayer funds should not be used to fund institutions that enable these groups to exert influence and manipulation over its pupils.
