Congressman demands Columbia end ties with CCP-linked exchange group

On Nov. 4, the chairman of the House Select Committee on China sent a letter to Columbia University President Claire Shipman, demanding that the university cut ties with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) linked programs on its campus. 

A press release from the committee highlights how U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar addressed a CCP linked exchange program within Columbia University in his letter, the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF). 

In the letter to Shipman, Moolenaar writes “in the interest of protecting students and the integrity of Columbia University’s programs,” to demand that the university “immediately terminate any ties that the university or its student groups have with CUSEF and commit to a rigorous review of student groups’ foreign funding and partnerships going forward.”

The CUSEF considers itself an organization that facilitates an essential partnership. It self-describes as “committed to the belief that a positive and peaceful relationship between the strongest developed nation and the most populous, fast-developing nation is essential for global wellbeing.”

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The website also notes that the CUSEF was “Founded in Hong Kong in 2008 and privately funded,” and aims to “encourage constructive dialogue and diverse exchanges between the people of the U.S. and China.”

Inside the letter, Moolenaar writes that “A Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing identified the CUSEF as “a united front-linked organization that advances Chinese Communist Party interests.”

The letter comes as the Columbia student organization, the Greater China Initiative, has been promoting an exchange trip in conjunction with the CUSEF, as reported by The National Review.

Moolenaar concludes the letter by noting how foreign influences on campuses like Columbia’s take advantage of the very openness of U.S. academic institutions in order to shape narratives, police dissenting discourse, and generally further the CCP’s political objectives within the American landscape of higher education.

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In response to Campus Reform’s request for comment, a spokesman for the congressman stated that “The letter speaks for itself,” and pointed specifically to verbiage in the letter that reads: “In November 2023, the House Select Committee released its United Front 101 memo, which explains that United Front work is ‘a unique blend of engagement, influence activities, and intelligence operations’ 3 used by the CCP to ‘shape its political environment, including to influence other countries’ policy toward the PRC and to gain access to advanced foreign technology.’”

A Columbia spokesperson declined Campus Reform’s request for comment.