Defending Education report links Chinese program to US schools

A report by the organization Defending Education has identified the presence of the Young Envoys Scholarship (YES) program in at least 83 universities and 26 K-12 schools across 30 U.S. states. The program is overseen by the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE).

The report, titled “Little Red Classrooms: China’s Infiltration of American K-12 Schools,” alleges that the CEAIE serves as a vehicle for Chinese Communist Party propaganda. The CEAIE’s own charter states that the organization aims to “always adhere to the leadership of the Party and integrate the Party’s work into the entire process of the association’s operation and development,” guided by “Marxism-Leninism” and Xi Jinping thought.

Reagan Dugan, director of higher education initiatives at Defending Education, characterized the program as a “Party-run pipeline” into American classrooms. The investigation also highlighted concerns regarding foreign funding, noting that the University of Illinois System received $26.5 million of $168 million in Chinese donations over a six-month period in 2021. Some universities are reportedly under investigation for failing to fully disclose foreign resources.