The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched Confucius Institutes in 2004, partnering with American universities and K-12 schools to promote Chinese language and cultural programs in the United States. In recent years, the institutes faced widespread criticism and closures over concerns about propaganda and foreign influence. However, analysts argue that some of these networks have reemerged under new organizational identities to continue promoting CCP influence in U.S. education.
Jennifer Richmond of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies wrote in The Hill that many former Confucius Institute networks have survived by rebranding themselves as nonprofit cultural and educational exchange organizations. Citing a 2022 report by the National Association of Scholars, she argued that some programs continue operating through renamed entities while maintaining ties with Chinese government institutions.
One example is the Virginia-based nonprofit Center for Bridging Cultures, which reportedly places Chinese teachers in U.S. classrooms, organizes China exchange trips, and partners with schools and universities. Public records show links between the organization and the former Confucius Institute network. Gao Qing, its executive director previously led the Confucius Institute U.S. Center, which the U.S. State Department designated in 2020 as a Chinese foreign mission linked to Beijing’s overseas influence operations.
The article argued that current U.S. transparency laws leave significant loopholes because schools are not required to fully disclose relationships with nonprofit organizations operating on behalf of foreign entities. Richmond called for stronger oversight of nonprofit groups linked to CCP influence networks.
Source: Epoch Times, June 2, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/6/1/n14779990.htm