North Charlotte Today

Senator Thom Tillis and his colleagues have introduced the Concerns Over Nations Funding University Campus Institutes in the United States (CONFUCIUS) Act to combat the influence of Chinese-backed Confucius Institutes on U.S. college campuses. These institutes, funded and arranged by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), have been found to suppress students' freedom of speech and spread false narratives about historical events.

According to Senator Tillis, "Confucius Institutes are an echo chamber for the Chinese Communist Party and threaten academic liberty and free speech in American colleges and universities." The CONFUCIUS Act aims to address these concerns and protect speech by implementing the following requirements for Confucius Institutes:

- Protect academic freedom on the campus where the Confucius Institute is located.

- Prohibit the application of any foreign law on any campus of the institution.

- Grant full control over what a Confucius Institute teaches, the activities it carries out, the research grants it gives, and the individuals it employs to the college or university on which it is located.

Additionally, the bill would prohibit federal government funding to colleges and universities that host Confucius Institutes and do not comply with these provisions. It is important to note that this funding prohibition would not affect funding disbursed to students, such as Pell Grants.

The CONFUCIUS Act has gained bipartisan support and was passed unanimously in the 116th and 117th Congresses. This demonstrates the recognition of the threat posed by these institutes and the need to safeguard academic freedom and free speech on American campuses.

The call for action against Confucius Institutes is not new. In May 2020, the College Republican National Committee and the College Democrats of America jointly wrote a letter urging the immediate and permanent closure of all Confucius Institutes in the United States. They expressed concerns about the present state of academic freedom and the exploitation of liberal, democratic academic institutions by authoritarians.

These concerns are valid as Confucius Institutes have been known to exert influence over universities by withholding funding to achieve their objectives. Universities are often faced with a dilemma of choosing between losing funding or upholding free speech. In many cases, they yield to the demands of an institution funded by a foreign government, compromising the interests of free speech. This allows foreign governments like China's Communist Party to exert their influence over American schools, even applying Chinese Communist laws on U.S. soil.

The CONFUCIUS Act aims to address these issues and protect the integrity of American colleges and universities. By granting full control over Confucius Institutes to the institutions on which they are located, academic freedom and free speech can be preserved. This legislation is a crucial step in minimizing the anti-American influence campaigns of the Chinese Communist Party on our students.

For the full text of the CONFUCIUS Act, please refer to the link provided [HERE].

In conclusion, Senator Tillis and his colleagues have introduced the CONFUCIUS Act to combat the influence of Confucius Institutes on U.S. college campuses. This legislation aims to protect academic freedom, prohibit the application of foreign laws on campuses, and grant full control over Confucius Institutes to the institutions on which they are located. It is a significant step in safeguarding free speech and minimizing the anti-American influence campaigns of the Chinese Communist Party on our students.

Click this link to access more information: https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2023/10/tillis-colleagues-introduce-confucius-act-to-fight-communist-china-s-influence-at-u-s-colleges