Letter on Chinese Influence at University of Montana

Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI), alongside Reps. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Matt Rosendale (R-MT), today sent a letter to the President of the University of Montana (UMT), Seth Bodnar, with concern about UMT's promotion of a summer 2024 study trip to China that is hosted and funded by the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF).

The lawmakers write, "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. 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.”

The lawmakers continue, "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.5 The founder and longtime chair of CUSEF, Tung Chee-hwa, was the vice chair of the CPPCC and clearly aligns with CCP interests. Since the 1980s, Tung served as a proxy for the CCP in Hong Kong, where as the first chief executive he pushed for the kind of draconian national security legislation we see today."

Other institutions, like the University of Texas, have rejected funds from CUSEF for these reasons.

In the interest of protecting students and the integrity of UMT’s programs, the lawmakers urge UMT to terminate any ties with CUSEF and commit to a rigorous vetting process for foreign partnerships going forward.

View the lawmakers' letter HERE