Stanford University in California has raked in more than $27 million from entities linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since the beginning of 2021.
The Washington Free Beacon first broke the news, citing the latest figures from the reporting database of the Department of Education.
The $27 million came through 42 donations throughout 2021 and into early 2022. While the database does not specify the exact source of funding beyond the country of origin, it outlines the amount of every gift and contract from China as part of federal reporting requirements. Stanford received a $9.9 million contract from China in February 2021 alone.
However, the California-based university is not the only institution receiving money from the communist nation. The database also revealed that the University of Delaware, which houses the Biden Institute, has accepted more than $6 million from China since 2017.
“American higher education is addicted to funding from China,” remarked Michael Sobolik of the American Foreign Policy Council.” He added that this money from Beijing “greases the skids for CCP malign influence in our colleges, like espionage, IP theft and censorship.”
The extent of this funding, alongside the millions of dollars, Beijing is giving out to prominent American universities, could place Stanford in the crosshairs of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), a member of the House Select Committee on China, told the Free Beacon that Chinese funding for American schools has skyrocketed under the Biden administration. This is because the White House stopped enforcing a federal code governing the disclosure of foreign gifts and donations. Moreover, the Biden administration has also dropped several federal investigations into the CCP’s influence at American universities.
“Colleges are likely pocketing even more than reported,” the congressman remarked. “Even worse, the Biden administration shut down all ongoing investigations into the CCP’s influence efforts at our universities.”
Stanford in bed with the CCP
The university did not respond to a request sent by the Free Beacon with regard to the donations from or its partnerships with China. However, the outlet shared several instances of Stanford’s partnership with the communist nation.
Back in 2021, the university opened its Center on China’s Economy that hosted “scholars, guests, and programs affiliated with groups backed by the CCP.” The center had ties to Peking University in the Chinese capital Beijing, which works alongside the CCP’s defense industry and nuclear weapons program.
That same year, federal authorities accused a Chinese researcher working at Stanford of secretly working as a member of the People’s Liberation Army. Prosecutors alleged that Chen Song “destroyed documents in a failed attempt to conceal her true identity.”
Concerns regarding Stanford’s links with Beijing are reasonable as Stanford is also conducting research work on behalf of the Department of Defense (DoD).
Back in 2022, the university received $1.9 million from the DoD to study “multi-phase detonation of liquid aero-propulsion fuels.” Aside from this, the Defense Department also gave grants to Stanford to study Air Force technology and science topics.
According to the Free Beacon, these DoD-funded studies could be compromised given Stanford’s links with China as Beijing is bent on stealing American research. In one example, the research on aero-propulsion fuels could also apply to advanced military technologies such as hypersonic missiles – which China is reportedly interested in.
“It’s outrageous that schools like Stanford are taking millions from Beijing, while partnering with [the DoD],” said Banks. “Not all schools take national security seriously, and the White House is making it easier than ever for them to cozy up with China.”
Ultimately, the Indiana congressman said the House GOP needs “to force Biden’s hand and pass legislation to crack down on foreign influence” in Stanford and other universities.
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