Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar and Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg have released a new report detailing ongoing academic partnerships between U.S. universities and Chinese institutions that, according to the committees, threaten national security.
Chairman Moolenaar stated, "American universities should never be a pipeline for the Chinese Communist Party’s military ambitions, and this report reveals alarming new details about their partnerships with CCP-controlled institutions. These collaborations empower China’s military and exploit research paid for by American taxpayers. That’s why I am working with Chairman Walberg to pass the SAFE Research Act, which will end joint institutes, and stop our tax dollars from aiding our adversaries."
Chairman Walberg added, “I’m pleased to publish this report with Chairman Moolenaar. It highlights the ever- growing threat of the Chinese Communist Party exploiting our education system to their military advantage. No American university should be helping the Chinese Communist Party through dangerous research partnerships masquerading as purely ‘academic.’ This is why we need legislation like the DETERRENT Act and the SAFE Research Act to protect our country from malicious foreign influence.”
Following these findings, Chairman Moolenaar authored the SAFE Research Act. This legislation was included in the National Defense Authorization Act passed by the House on September 10. The act aims to halt federal STEM funding for universities or researchers collaborating with China's military or intelligence services.
The investigation identified more than 100 additional academic partnerships deemed risky due to ties with Chinese entities, with over fifty examined in depth for posing direct risks to U.S. national security.
In a joint statement, lawmakers wrote: "Joint Institutes—entities based in China that pair American universities with Chinese institutions—are not typical academic collaborations that benefit students from both countries. They are under the thumb of the CCP. They operate under PRC law; are run by Chinese-majority boards and have Party presence in leadership; and are aligned with the CCP’s national strategy, including its military buildup." They further noted that "Chinese government funding dominates these joint institutes, and the use of funds is restricted by law to align with CCP goals."
Specific examples cited include three joint degree programs between U.S. universities and China’s Seven Sons of National Defense; a partnership in submarine engineering research between University of Houston and Dalian Maritime University; a dual degree in aircraft power engineering involving Shenyang Aerospace University (supervised by blacklisted company Aviation Industry Corporation of China) and Southern Illinois University Carbondale; as well as a program in mechanical design between North China Institute of Aerospace Engineering (linked to companies producing Long March Rockets) and Saint Martin’s University.
Protecting research security has been an ongoing focus for both committees. A previous investigation in September 2024 reported that hundreds of millions in federal research funds helped advance nuclear technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing developments in China through grants from agencies such as the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy, and National Science Foundation.
Earlier this month another committee report revealed that more than 1,400 research publications resulted from DOD-funded projects involving Chinese partners—with over half directly collaborating with Chinese military entities—totaling more than $2.5 billion in taxpayer funding.
The full report titled “Joint Institutes, Divided Loyalties” is available online.
