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New Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Harvard's China ties become political liability
HARVARD University's links to China, long an asset to the school, have become a liability as the Trump administration levels accusations that its campus is plagued by Beijing-backed influence operations. Last Thursday, the administration moved to revoke Harvard's ability to enrol foreign students, saying it fostered anti-Semitism and coordinated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Among them were Chinese nationals who made up about a fifth of Harvard's foreign student intake in 2024, said the university. A US judge on Friday temporarily blocked the administration's order after the Cambridge, Massachusetts, university sued. The concerns about Chinese government influence at Harvard are not new. Some lawmakers, many of them Republicans, have expressed worries that China is manipulating Harvard to gain access to advanced technology, to circumvent security laws and to stifle criticism of it in the US. "For too long, Harvard has let the Chinese Communist Party exploit it," said a White House official on Friday, adding that the school had "turned a blind eye to vigilante CCP-directed harassment on-campus". The school has said the revocation was a punishment for Harvard's "perceived viewpoint", which it called a violation of the right to free speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment. Harvard's links to China, which include research partnerships and China-focused academic centres, are longstanding. The ties have yielded major financial gifts, influence in international affairs and global prestige for the school. In a statement, the Chinese embassy in Washington said: "Educational exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States are mutually beneficial and should not be stigmatised." The presence of Chinese students at Harvard and the school's links to the country are not evidence of wrongdoing. But the complexity and overlapping nature of the connections have been opaque enough to attract attention and criticism. The China-related issues cited by the Trump administration echo the work of the Republican-led House of Representatives' Select Committee on China. For example, Harvard provided public health-related training to Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) officials after 2020. That year, the US imposed sanctions on the Chinese paramilitary organisation for its role in alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The Homeland Security Department said those engagements with XPCC continued "as recently as 2024". China vehemently denies any accusations of wrongdoing in Xinjiang, but both the Trump and Joe Biden administrations have defined Beijing's policies in the region as "genocide". In another episode that has drawn questions, US business intelligence firm Strategy Risks said Ronnie Chan, who facilitated a US$350 million donation to Harvard in 2014 that led to its school of public health being named after his father, property developer T.H. Chan, was a member of the China-United States Exchange Foundation. The Hong Kong-based organisation, which says its aim is to foster dialogue between the two countries, has been classified as a foreign principal under US law, requiring US lobbyists working for it to disclose that work to the US government. Former Harvard Professor Charles Lieber was scrutinised by a Trump programme started in 2018 called the China Initiative, which was focused on fighting Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft and investigated researchers and universities over whether they disclosed financial ties to Beijing. He was convicted in 2021 of lying about his ties to China in connection with federally funded research. In April, he became a full-time professor at a Chinese university. In April 2024, a Harvard student activist was ejected from an event by a Chinese exchange student — not faculty or security staff — for interrupting a speech by China's Ambassador Xie Feng. Pressure has mounted on Harvard in Trump's second term, with the Education Department asking the university last month to provide records on its foreign funding after it said a review of required reporting on large foreign-source gifts and contracts revealed incomplete and inaccurate disclosures. Yaqiu Wang, a US-based human rights researcher who came to the US from China as a student, said the Trump administration's move to ban foreign students at Harvard was "completely counterproductive". "The concerns over the Chinese government's transnational repression attempts to silence critics are very legitimate, and also espionage concerns are legitimate," Wang said.
AsiaOne
25-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Long advantageous, Harvard's China ties become a political liability, World News
WASHINGTON - Harvard University's links to China, long an asset to the school, have become a liability as the Trump administration levels accusations that its campus is plagued by Beijing-backed influence operations. On Thursday (May 22) the administration moved to revoke Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students, saying it fostered antisemitism and coordinated with the Chinese Communist Party. Among them are Chinese nationals who made up about a fifth of Harvard's foreign student intake in 2024, the university said. A US judge on Friday temporarily blocked the administration's order after the Cambridge, Massachusetts, university sued. The concerns about Chinese government influence at Harvard are not new. Some US lawmakers, many of them Republicans, have expressed worries that China is manipulating Harvard to gain access to US advanced technology, to circumvent US security laws and to stifle criticism of it in the United States. "For too long, Harvard has let the Chinese Communist Party exploit it," a White House official told Reuters on Friday, adding the school had "turned a blind eye to vigilante CCP-directed harassment on-campus." Harvard did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The school has said the revocation was a punishment for Harvard's "perceived viewpoint," which it called a violation of the right to free speech as guaranteed by the US Constitution's First Amendment. Harvard's links to China, which include research partnerships and China-focused academic centres, are longstanding. The ties have yielded major financial gifts, influence in international affairs and global prestige for the school. Former Harvard President Larry Summers, who has at times been critical of the university, called the Trump administration's move to block foreign students the most serious attack on the university to date. "It's hard to imagine a greater strategic gift to China than for the United States to sacrifice its role as a beacon to the world," he said in an interview with Politico. Health training In a statement, the Chinese embassy in Washington said: "Educational exchanges and co-operation between China and the United States are mutually beneficial and should not be stigmatised." The presence of Chinese students at Harvard and the school's links to the country are not evidence of wrongdoing. But the complexity and overlapping nature of the connections have been opaque enough to attract attention and criticism. The China-related issues cited by the Trump administration echo the work of the Republican-led House of Representatives' Select Committee on China. For example, Harvard provided public health-related training to Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) officials after 2020. That year the US imposed sanctions on the Chinese paramilitary organisation for its role in alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The Department of Homeland Security said those engagements with XPCC continued "as recently as 2024." China vehemently denies any accusations of wrongdoing in Xinjiang, but both the Trump and Biden administrations have defined Beijing's policies in the region as "genocide." In another episode that has drawn questions, US business intelligence firm Strategy Risks said that Ronnie Chan, who facilitated a US$350 million (S$450 million) donation to Harvard in 2014 that led to its school of public health being named for his father, property developer T.H. Chan, is a member of the China-United States Exchange Foundation. The Hong Kong-based organisation, which says its aim is to foster dialogue between the two countries, has been classified as a foreign principal under US law, requiring US lobbyists working for it to disclose that work to the US government. Former professor convicted Former Harvard Professor Charles Lieber was scrutinised by a Trump programme started in 2018 called the China Initiative, which was focused on fighting Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft and investigated researchers and universities over whether they disclosed financial ties to Beijing. He was convicted in 2021 of lying about his ties to China in connection with federally funded research. In April, he became a full-time professor at a Chinese university. The initiative was halted under the Biden administration after critics said it led to racial profiling and a culture of fear that chilled scientific collaboration. US lawmakers from both parties have expressed worries about the efforts by Beijing-linked student associations to monitor political activities. In April 2024, a Harvard student activist was physically ejected from an event by a Chinese exchange student - not faculty or security staff - for interrupting a speech by China's Ambassador Xie Feng. Pressure has mounted on Harvard in Trump's second term, with the Education Department in April asking the university to provide records on its foreign funding after it said a review of required reporting on large foreign-source gifts and contracts revealed incomplete and inaccurate disclosures. The Trump administration's moves against Harvard have nonetheless alarmed some China experts. Yaqiu Wang, a US-based human rights researcher who came to the US from China as a student, said the Trump administration's move to ban foreign students at Harvard was "completely counterproductive." "The concerns over the Chinese government's transnational repression attempts to silence critics are very legitimate, and also espionage concerns are legitimate." Wang said. "But to try to address that by banning, not only Chinese students, but foreign students, is just beyond comprehension." [[nid:718349]]
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
White House accuses Harvard of 'coordinating' with China
WASHINGTON: Harvard University's links to China, long an asset to the school, have become a liability as the Trump administration levels accusations that its campus is plagued by Beijing-backed influence operations. The concerns about Chinese govt influence at Harvard are not new. Some US lawmakers, many of them Republicans, have expressed worries that China is manipulating Harvard to gain access to advanced technologies. "For too long, Harvard has let the Chinese Communist Party exploit it," a White House official told Reuters on Friday, adding the school had "turned a blind eye to vigilante CCP-directed harassment on-campus." Harvard did not respond immediately to requests for comment. Harvard's links to China, which include research partnerships and China-focused academic centres, are longstanding. The Chinese embassy in Washington said: "Educational exchanges and cooperation between China and the US are mutually beneficial and should not be stigmatised." The complexity and overlapping nature of the school's ties with China have attracted criticism. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo For example, Harvard provided public health-related training to Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) officials after 2020. That year the US imposed sanctions on the Chinese paramilitary organisation for its role in alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang. In another episode, US business intelligence firm Strategy Risks said Ronnie Chan, who facilitated a $350 million donation to Harvard in 2014, is a member of the China-United States Exchange Foundation. The organisation has been classified as a foreign principal under US law, requiring US lobbyists working for it to disclose that work to the US govt. (This is a Reuters story)
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Trump administration targets Harvard's China links: What you need to know
Harvard University's long-standing ties to China — once seen as a prestigious asset — are now drawing intense scrutiny from the Donald Trump administration, which has accused the university of fostering Chinese government influence and antisemitism on campus. On Thursday, the administration moved to revoke Harvard's ability to enrol foreign students, citing alleged coordination with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Among those affected would be Chinese nationals, who comprised about 20 per cent of Harvard's international student intake in 2024, according to the university. A federal judge temporarily blocked the order on Friday after Harvard filed a lawsuit challenging the decision. Allegations of Chinese government interference at Harvard are not new. As per a report by news agency Reuters, several US lawmakers, predominantly Republicans, have long raised concerns that China may be exploiting elite academic institutions like Harvard to access cutting-edge US technology, circumvent national security laws, and suppress criticism of Beijing within the United States. 'For too long, Harvard has let the Chinese Communist Party exploit it,' a White House official told Reuters, accusing the university of turning a blind eye to CCP-directed harassment on campus. Harvard has yet to respond publicly to the latest accusations. The university maintains that the administration's actions are politically motivated and constitute a violation of its First Amendment right to free speech. Harvard's ties to China span decades and include research partnerships, China-focused academic centres, and significant financial contributions. These relationships have helped enhance Harvard's global profile but are now being viewed through the lens of national security. Former Harvard President Larry Summers, often a critic of the university's internal policies, described the administration's move as the most serious attack on the institution to date. 'It's hard to imagine a greater strategic gift to China than for the United States to sacrifice its role as a beacon to the world,' Summers told Politico. In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in Washington defended US-China educational exchanges as mutually beneficial and warned against stigmatising academic collaboration. The administration's concerns echo a number of recent incidents and broader investigations: 📌Harvard reportedly continued to provide public health training to officials from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) after the US imposed sanctions on the group in 2020 for alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The Department of Homeland Security said those engagements continued into 2024. 📌Ronnie Chan, a Hong Kong property developer whose family donated $350 million to Harvard's School of Public Health in 2014, is a member of the China-United States Exchange Foundation, which has been designated as a foreign principal under US law due to its lobbying efforts. 📌Former Harvard chemistry professor Charles Lieber was convicted in 2021 for lying about his financial ties to China while conducting federally funded research. Once the subject of Trump's China Initiative, Lieber has since become a full-time professor at a Chinese university. The initiative was later shelved by the Biden administration over concerns of racial profiling and a chilling effect on scientific collaboration. Tensions over China's influence on US campuses have also played out in public incidents. In April 2024, a Harvard student activist was physically removed by a Chinese exchange student during an event disrupted by protest, raising questions about the role of Beijing-linked student groups in suppressing dissent. The Department of Education has since launched an inquiry into Harvard's foreign funding disclosures, following a review that found 'incomplete and inaccurate' records of major overseas contributions.
NDTV
24-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Long Advantageous, Harvard's China Ties Become A Political Liability
Washington: Harvard University's links to China, long an asset to the school, have become a liability as the Trump administration levels accusations that its campus is plagued by Beijing-backed influence operations. On Thursday, the administration moved to revoke Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students, saying it fostered antisemitism and coordinated with the Chinese Communist Party. Among them are Chinese nationals who made up about a fifth of Harvard's foreign student intake in 2024, the university said. A U.S. judge on Friday temporarily blocked the administration's order after the Cambridge, Massachusetts, university sued. The concerns about Chinese government influence at Harvard are not new. Some U.S. lawmakers, many of them Republicans, have expressed worries that China is manipulating Harvard to gain access to U.S. advanced technology, to circumvent U.S. security laws and to stifle criticism of it in the United States. "For too long, Harvard has let the Chinese Communist Party exploit it," a White House official told Reuters on Friday, adding the school had "turned a blind eye to vigilante CCP-directed harassment on-campus." Harvard did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The school has said the revocation was a punishment for Harvard's "perceived viewpoint," which it called a violation of the right to free speech as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. Harvard's links to China, which include research partnerships and China-focused academic centers, are longstanding. The ties have yielded major financial gifts, influence in international affairs and global prestige for the school. Health Training In a statement, the Chinese embassy in Washington said: "Educational exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States are mutually beneficial and should not be stigmatized." The presence of Chinese students at Harvard and the school's links to the country are not evidence of wrongdoing. But the complexity and overlapping nature of the connections have been opaque enough to attract attention and criticism. The China-related issues cited by the Trump administration echo the work of the Republican-led House of Representatives' Select Committee on China. For example, Harvard provided public health-related training to Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) officials after 2020. That year the U.S. imposed sanctions on the Chinese paramilitary organization for its role in alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The Department of Homeland Security said those engagements with XPCC continued "as recently as 2024." China vehemently denies any accusations of wrongdoing in Xinjiang, but both the Trump and Biden administrations have defined Beijing's policies in the region as "genocide." In another episode that has drawn questions, U.S. business intelligence firm Strategy Risks said that Ronnie Chan, who facilitated a $350 million donation to Harvard in 2014 that led to its school of public health being named for his father, property developer T.H. Chan, is a member of the China-United States Exchange Foundation. The Hong Kong-based organization, which says its aim is to foster dialogue between the two countries, has been classified as a foreign principal under U.S. law, requiring U.S. lobbyists working for it to disclose that work to the U.S. government. Former Professor Convicted Former Harvard Professor Charles Lieber was scrutinized by a Trump program started in 2018 called the China Initiative, which was focused on fighting Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft and investigated researchers and universities over whether they disclosed financial ties to Beijing. He was convicted in 2021 of lying about his ties to China in connection with federally funded research. In April, he became a full-time professor at a Chinese university. The initiative was halted under the Biden administration after critics said it led to racial profiling and a culture of fear that chilled scientific collaboration. U.S. lawmakers from both parties have expressed worries about the efforts by Beijing-linked student associations to monitor political activities. In April 2024, a Harvard student activist was physically ejected from an event by a Chinese exchange student - not faculty or security staff - for interrupting a speech by China's Ambassador Xie Feng. Pressure has mounted on Harvard in Trump's second term, with the Education Department in April asking the university to provide records on its foreign funding after it said a review of required reporting on large foreign-source gifts and contracts revealed incomplete and inaccurate disclosures. The Trump administration's moves against Harvard have nonetheless alarmed some China experts. Yaqiu Wang, a U.S.-based human rights researcher who came to the U.S. from China as a student, said the Trump administration's move to ban foreign students at Harvard was "completely counterproductive." "The concerns over the Chinese government's transnational repression attempts to silence critics are very legitimate, and also espionage concerns are legitimate." Wang said. "But to try to address that by banning, not only Chinese students, but foreign students, is just beyond comprehension."
