GOP Senators Ask College Board to Examine Relationship With Pro-CCP Confucius Institute

Spearheaded by Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), GOP Senators are urging the CEO of the College Board to reevaluate the board’s relationship with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Confucius Institute. The College Board facilitates Advanced Placement (AP) and SAT entrance exams for students seeking admission to undergraduate institutions.

 Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler (GA), Tom Cotton (AR), Marco Rubio (FL), Mike Lee (UT), James Lankford (OK), and Josh Hawley (MO) joined Sen. Blackburn in voicing concerns about potential interference by the CCP, via the board's relationship with the Confucius Institute. A report from the National Association of Scholars (NAS) deemed the College Board a target for Chinese influence, as the Senators detailed in a letter to David Coleman, head of the board.

.@CIUSCenter exemplifies the #CCP global propaganda campaign. I authored a letter demanding @CollegeBoard answer about their relationship with Beijing’s Confucius Institute.@SenTomCotton, @HawleyMO, @SenMikeLee, @MarcoRubio, @SenatorLoeffler, @SenatorLankford pic.twitter.com/y16pS6v1Fc

— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 27, 2020

“...the U.S. Department of State designated the Confucius Institute U.S. Center (CIUS) as a foreign mission of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), thereby recognizing Confucius programming as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) propaganda apparatus to influence schools in the U.S.,” they write. “...the National Association of Scholars (NAS) issued a report identifying College Board as a target for the Chinese influence campaign. This report alleged that the College Board partnered with China to develop the Advanced Placement (AP) Chinese Language and Culture Exam. The report further alleged that College Board helped place Chinese nationals in U.S. schools through the Chinese Guest Teacher Program, a collaboration between College Board and Hanban. We are concerned that the PRC exploits its partnership with College Board to stifle conversation that might undermine the reputation of the CCP.”

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The Confucius Institute aims to promote partnerships between Chinese institutions and those in other countries, but has received bipartisan scrutiny for pushing the CCP’s propaganda.