While TikTok is the most visible means by which China seeks to subvert the United States, others are more subtle. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has reintroduced a bill preventing federal funds from going to colleges and universities with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Ties can be in the form of backing from Chinese entities affiliated with the Party or hosting a Confucius Institute. While Confucius Institutes claim to aid in teaching of the Chinese language and culture, they have frequently faced accusations of spreading CCP propaganda and facilitating spies.
As such, Sen. Scott's bill would prevent funding from going to schools hosting these Institutes or having a relationship with Chinese entities.
Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security must ensure any school that has received in-kind donations, gifts, or entered a relationship with a Confucius Institute or other entity will be ineligible to receive further funds.
In his press release, Sen. Scott said, "for years, I have been warning of the threat from Communist China, which continues to steal U.S. technology and intellectual property in its quest for world domination."
"For years, I have been warning of the threat from Communist China, which continues to steal U.S. technology and intellectual property in its quest for world domination. Confucius Institutes are hotbeds for spreading Communist China's propaganda and allow for communist spies, acting under the guise of researchers, to steal intellectual property. These spies have no place on America's college campuses. Taxpayer dollars should never be spent on programs which allow the CCP to steal information regarding matters of national security, like military and technology advancements, to use against us," Scott added.
In February, Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL) had similarly warned of CCP-owned or CCP-backed private schools in the United States attempting to establish Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) programs, calling it "troublesome."
