Seeing Red, China Infiltrates K-12 Schools

Why is China funneling money into our schools? An even better question is why are we ALLOWING China to funnel money into our schools? Obviously, both questions are semi-rhetorical. China is NOT sending money to our schools in order to enlighten our students or enhance their education. Unless you consider advancing communism and China’s philosophies an advancement in the education of American students. The school districts that are accepting these payoffs are doing it for two reasons. They’re already run by left leaning Democratic socialists and it’s easy money. Dirty money yes, but easy money for sure!

According to their website:

“Parents Defending Education is a national grassroots organization working to reclaim our schools from activists imposing harmful agendas. Through network and coalition building, investigative reporting, litigation, and engagement on local, state, and national policies, we are fighting indoctrination in the classroom, and promoting the restoration of a healthy, non-political education for our kids.”

Last week they released a report that’s titled “Little Red Classrooms: China’s infiltration of American K-12 Schools.” The report is concerning, because according to their data, twenty of the schools are close to U.S. military bases. When you combine that with the knowledge that China is also relentlessly attempting to buy real estate near our military bases, their choice of schools appears purposeful more so than coincidental.

The report states that China has funneled just under $18 million dollars into 134 schools in 34 states and Washington D.C. over the last 11 years from 2009-2023. The money is “laundered” through Confucius Institutes and the CCP’s thinly veiled K-12 program that they call “Confucius Classrooms.”

The report goes on to state:

“While the United States is not officially part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese state media has touted the work done by Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms to further the Chinese Communist Party’s global influence.”

Under any other administration, policed by an honest mainstream media that had you know, … journalists, this may never have even developed to the extent that it has. However, now that Parents Defending Education, has exposed this travesty, where is the outrage? Much more importantly, … Where Is The Action To Shut It Down?

In a typical Republican reaction, Representative Jim Banks of Indiana wrote a letter expressing his outrage. In the letter, Banks “demanded” that the Department of Education take action with “urgency” to terminate these “disturbing” partnerships. The letter which was addressed to Secretary Miguel Cardona stated:

“The Chinese Communist Party is not a trustworthy partner. Accepting funding and influence from our greatest adversary is a threat to America’s children and national security.”

The letter went on to say that the U.S. must “take every measure” to strengthen its defense against China which should include: “blocking their ability to propagandize in America’s K-12 schools.”

The Congressman, sits on the newly established “House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.”

In an interview with the DailyMail.com, Representative Mike Waltz expressed concern about the report saying:

“it is alarming’ because we truly don’t understand the full extent of Communist China’s meddling in our education system. Not only is the CCP trying to promote their propaganda through education programs but are using Chinese shell companies to outright buy American private schools around the country.”

In addition, Waltz has expressed specific concern about Chinese owned schools that facilitate Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) programs, which he believes pose a concerning national security threat.

Senator Roger Marshal of Kansas, introduced a new bill on Tuesday that would prohibit any federal agency from funding research in China or any “entity” owned by China.

In an interview with DailyMail.com, Marshal expounded on his position:

“From buying our farmland to setting up CCP police stations here on U.S. soil, stealing our intellectual property, spying on our military bases, and now buying their way into our children’s K-12 schools, it is past time for this administration to wake up and realize what we are up against.”

In 2021, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was passed that prohibits providing money to any institution of “higher learning that hosts a Confucius Institute,” after October 1, 2023. As a result, over one hundred U.S. universities have closed down the Confucius Institutes.

As of March of this year, there were thirteen remaining Confucius Institutes in the U.S., with over 108 having already closed, or that are in the process of closing.

Recently Mike Gallagher, Chairman of the House Select Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, took aim at Alfred University in New York’s Confucius Institute in an attempt to have it closed. The university obtained a $13.5 million taxpayer funded research grant in 2022 from the Pentagon to conduct ….. hypersonic weapons research.

For more than obvious reasons, Gallagher questioned the reasoning behind Pentagon funding being used at a university with CCP ties.

As reported by DailyMail.com, in a June 13 letter, university attorney Robert Fisher responded to Gallagher saying, Alfred University has decided to close the Confucius Institute “as of June 30, 2023.”

While it’s encouraging that we have been awakened to the danger the CCP brings to our institutions of higher learning, their infiltration into K-12 schools remains relevant.

Here’s an idea. Remove all Chinese funding and influence out of EVERY school. Stop selling them real estate. In fact, take back any and all land that has been sold to them, and stop any Chinese students from attending U.S. Colleges.

I know what many of you will say, “you can’t do that, some of those things are illegal.” Really?  Since when does the Biden administration ever consider the rule of law?

To make it easier for the DOJ to implement these changes, they can pretend that the funding is all from Trump and that all of the Chinese students are Trumps relatives.

By this time tomorrow it will be done.