Republicans eye university ties to China
House Republicans are seeking information from the Education Department on China’s ties to leading U.S. universities, as tensions mount between the two countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Republicans, led by House Oversight and Reform Committee ranking member Jim Jordan (Ohio), sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsey DeVos on Monday asking for details on what he characterized as the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to influence American colleges.
“We write to seek a better understanding of the Department’s efforts to address unreported foreign direct investment into the U.S. higher education system,” the House Republicans wrote. “This joint inquiry is in furtherance of Congressional Republican’s efforts to investigate the Chinese government’s propaganda and cover-up campaign surrounding this pandemic.”
The House members asked DeVos to provide documentation on all U.S. universities under investigation for receiving foreign gifts since 2018, and any preliminary findings from those investigations.
The letter was signed by ranking members on other House committees, including Reps. Virginia Foxx (N.C.), Mac Thornberry (Texas), Mike Rogers (Ala.), Devin Nunes (Calif.), and Michael McCaul (Texas).
The Department of Education has launched an investigation of its own into at least one major school system. It is looking into ties between the University of Texas and the Chinese lab being investigated by U.S. intelligence officials for potentially being linked to the COVID-19 outbreak. A university spokesperson told The Hill they would cooperate with the investigation.
