Combating CCP Influence in American Classrooms

Over the past decade, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has worked to spread propaganda and conduct sophisticated espionage around the world by targeting the United States and seeking to infiltrate and exploit America’s K-12 classrooms and institutions of learning.

One way the Chinese government attempted to do this was through Confucius Classrooms in America. Disguised as programs promoting Chinese language and culture and advancing cultural exchanges, these classrooms are an important element of the CCP’s global influence campaign that work to build ties with American schools to push propaganda and sway policy.

Currently, there are around 500 to 1,000 Confucius Classrooms worldwide, and a Parents Defending Education report tracked Chinese affiliation in 143 schools across 34 states, with at least seven still active as of publication of the report. The CCP approves teachers, events, and speakers and demands that teachers pledge not to damage the national interests of China.

We cannot allow foreign adversaries like the CCP, whose mission is to undermine American interests, infect our political discourse, and shape young minds to their design. House Republicans are bringing legislation to combat malicious foreign influence from China in our kids’ classrooms.

Rep. Kevin Hern’s legislation, H.R. 1069, the PROTECT Our Kids Act, blocks federal funding from being given to elementary or secondary schools that directly or indirectly receive support from the Chinese government, including operation of Confucius Classrooms, funds provided by China, and personnel or teaching materials received from an individual or entity acting on behalf of the Chinese government. 

House Republicans are working to protect our children from the CCP’s malign influence in their schools – will Democrats vote with us, or put China before American kids?
Keeping Parents Informed of Foreign Influence in Classrooms

Foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continue their efforts to infiltrate American classrooms and influence the education of America’s youth through funding and “cultural exchange programs” like Confucius Classrooms. Many schools have accepted grants connected to the CCP, teacher exchanges, Chinese language programs, and study abroad opportunities.

These programs, such as Confucius Classrooms, are really trojan horses that provide the Chinese government with a vehicle to distribute their communist propaganda, advance their strategic objectives, and influence American youth. If parents are unaware of such influence in their child’s classroom, they are unable to ensure their child is being taught accurate content.

Our children are our future. It’s unacceptable for adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party to have a hand in the shaping of our future leaders by way of American classrooms. Parents have the right to a say in the way their children are taught and an awareness of the groups or governments that have a presence in the classroom.

Today, House Republicans are bringing forward legislation to ensure parents are made aware of foreign influence in their kid’s classroom and have the opportunity to review any curriculum or materials provided by a foreign government, increasing transparency and combatting foreign influence such as that of China over our children.

H.R. 1049, the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act, introduced by Rep. Aaron Bean, requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to make sure the K-12 schools they serve notify parents of any foreign contracts or financial transactions they partake in, allow parents to review curriculum provided by or purchased with funds from a foreign government, and inform parents of how many personnel at their child's school are compensated by foreign sources.

House Republicans will always fight to ensure parents can exercise their right to know what’s being taught to their child and safeguard classrooms from malicious influence.