The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has voiced concerns about a summer program at the University of Montana, which has links to China. The program includes an actual trip to China and is financed by the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF).
Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chairman of the Select Committee, collaborated with Representatives Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) and Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) in drafting a letter addressed to Seth Bodnar, President of the University of Montana. The lawmakers expressed their apprehensions about the university's scheduled trip to China in the summer of 2024, especially its ties to CUSEF and potential connections to the CCP. According to a press release from the Select Committee on the CCP, other universities in the United States, such as the University of Texas, have declined funding from CUSEF due to its associations with the CCP.
"CUSEF is not a benign entity interested in the objective education of Montanans—it is an organ of the CCP’s approach to influence operations, including those intended to shape Americans’ views toward the CCP-controlled People’s Republic of China (PRC) government," wrote Gallagher and his colleagues. "The organization operates within a broader strategy of united front work, whose purpose "…is to control, mobilize, and otherwise make use of individuals outside the party to achieve [CCP] objectives."
Concerns about CCP influence within American universities have been a longstanding issue for lawmakers. In October, Gallagher spoke to 70 university presidents about protecting American universities from CCP influence. During his speech, he outlined three steps that universities should take: "prohibit the operation of any student group that receives funding or direction from adversarial governments like China’s", "rethink how they collaborate with CCP and PLA-affiliated researchers" and "restrict outbound capital investment into China and be transparent about their foreign investments."
CUSEF is a China-based company that claims their "in-country programming provides opportunities for authentic, on-the-ground experiences, allowing visitors to see China through their own eyes." One segment of their program, known as China-US Focus, initiated in 2011, concentrates on providing "insight into developments in the U.S.-China relationship". Tung Chee-hwa is the founding chairman of CUSEF, according to CUSEF.
"CUSEF is guided by officials in the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a key united front forum designed to advance CCP objectives in and beyond the PRC," said Gallagher and his colleagues. "The founder and longtime chair of CUSEF, Tung Chee-hwa, was the vice chair of the CPPCC and clearly aligns with CCP interests. Concerns surrounding CUSEF’s presence in the United States are well documented. In the interest of protecting students and the integrity of UMT’s programs, we urge you to terminate any ties with CUSEF and commit to a rigorous vetting process for foreign partnerships going forward."
