A new report published on Monday alleged that Columbia University has failed to disclose a $1 million gift from China’s Communist Party. The report claims that the university accepted $1 million in donations as part of its relationship with the Confucius Institute, a controversial organization run by the Chinese government that has partnered with colleges around the globe.
According to a report by the Washington Free Beacon, the Chinese Communist Party donated $1 million to Columbia University between 2010 and 2015 as part of a plan to establish a Confucius Institute on campus.
The Confucius Institute was designed by the Chinese government as a vehicle to promote Chinese language and culture on American college campuses. However, many believe that the organization has used its influence to exert control over American institutions. In October 2019, Senator Josh Hawley launched an investigation into the organization and its relationship with American universities and colleges.
Despite the mounting concerns, Columbia University continues to maintain its relationship with the organization. “Okay, no more gifts,” Columbia University President Lee Bollinger reportedly said after the Chinese government’s sixth donation to the university.
Rachelle Peterson, the director of policy for the National Association of Scholars, said that Columbia’s relationship with the Chinese government is not surprising.
“Unfortunately Columbia is really par for the course,” Peterson said. “For many years, colleges and universities have been either completely negligent or willfully out of compliance of the law. They have fought transparency at every step of the way.”
Many universities and colleges in the United States have already cut ties with the Confucius Institute over concerns that it was exerting its influence to shut down criticisms of the Chinese government on campus.
Breitbart News reported in October 2019 that the University of Delaware had cut ties with its chapter of the Confucius Institute. It joined 20 other universities and colleges that had already ended their contracts with the organization.
Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.
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