Sec. 2. Findings
349 words·~2 min read·
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Congress finds the following: Schools in the United States, especially institutions of higher education overseeing either sensitive research or critical military technology systems, have provided a level of access to the Chinese government that the Chinese government has refused to provide to the United States. China’s control over the flow of information means the American people have an incomplete picture of Chinese government actions and policies that run counter to the interest of the United States at home and abroad.
In the last 15 years, the Chinese government has opened over 100 Confucius Institutes on college and university campuses in the United States to increase their cultural standing in popular culture. While there are currently more than 500 Confucius Institutes worldwide, the United States has more Confucius Institutes than any other country. Federal Government officials have expressed concerns about Confucius Institutes. Christopher Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, testified that the FBI is watching warily Confucius Institutes and in certain instances have developed appropriate investigative steps .
The Department of Education has not conducted regular oversight of the compliance of institutions of higher education with foreign gift reporting requirements and, until recently, has failed to adequately enforce the requirements of section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (relating to disclosures of foreign gifts). The Department of Education maintains a database detailing the reporting of foreign gifts received by institutions, but relies solely on the institutions to self-report gifts.
The Department of Education is updating the reporting requirements applicable to institutions of higher education. Previously, the Department of Education had not issued guidance on foreign gift reporting by institutions of higher education since 2004. As a result, institution’s informed Congress that the reporting requirements were unclear and confusing. Institutions also informed Congress that the Department of Education website used to report foreign gifts was dated and difficult to use.
Absent full transparency regarding how Confucius Institutes operate and full reciprocity for the cultural outreach efforts of the United States on college campuses in China, Confucius Institutes should not continue in the United States unchecked or unsupervised.