A public university in Missouri spent over two decades educating executives linked to China’s military-industrial complex through a business program. The program, which began in 2001, trained more than 1,500 Chinese executives, government officials, and state-owned enterprise managers, including personnel connected to China’s defense sector.
Concerns Over National Security Risks
Graduates of the program included executives linked to Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), China’s largest state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate. AVIC has been designated by the U.S. Defense Department as a Chinese military company and has faced U.S. sanctions and investment restrictions over its ties to Beijing’s military establishment.
The report’s authors argue that the program occupied a blind spot in Washington’s scrutiny of U.S.-China academic ties. Lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at limiting Chinese influence, including the Espionage Protection Act, which would prohibit federal funding for university intelligence-related programs if schools maintain relationships with organizations alleged to have ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
