Columbia University leader linked to Chinese military institution

Investigations have revealed that Sun Zhe, co-director of Columbia University’s China Initiative, held an adjunct professorship at the PLA Foreign Language University, according to records from Tsinghua University and Xinhua. While Sun’s Columbia biography highlights his leadership in international affairs and his work advising Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, it omits his affiliation with the military institution.

The PLA Foreign Language University, located in Luoyang, has been identified in U.S. Air Force research as a training center for linguists serving in the Chinese military’s technical departments and reconnaissance bureaus. While the records establish an academic affiliation, they do not confirm a formal military commission or the specific dates of his teaching duties.

Sun is among several academics in the United States whose professional backgrounds include connections to Chinese military-affiliated entities. These connections range from research employment at the National University of Defense Technology to honorary medical appointments at PLA hospitals.