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China’s Young Envoys Program Draws Scrutiny Over Potential CCP Influence in U.S. Schools

A new investigation by Defending Education alleges that China’s Young Envoys Scholarship (YES) program provides Beijing with opportunities to influence American students and shape perceptions of China. Launched in 2024 after Xi Jinping invited 50,000 U.S. students to study in China over five years, the program is operated by the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE). Defending Education says it has identified more than 83 universities and 27 K-12 schools across 30 states participating in YES.

The report focuses on CEAIE’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). CEAIE’s Chinese-language website identifies Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Xi Jinping Thought as its guiding ideologies and states that it adheres to CCP leadership. The organization’s leadership also includes former Chinese education officials and university Party secretaries. U.S. lawmakers have identified CEAIE as part of China’s United Front system and warned that CCP-affiliated organizations can use student exchanges as influence operations.

The investigation cites several examples of YES exchanges. In 2024, Muscatine High School students traveled to China on a trip fully funded by the Chinese government after Xi personally invited the school. Other participants included students from the University of Chicago, Columbia University, Indiana University, Carleton College, and Lincoln High School in Washington. Some exchanges involved Chinese organizations that U.S. officials or researchers have associated with CCP influence activities.

Defending Education argues that these programs go beyond ordinary cultural exchange because the trips are often government-funded, carefully organized, and subsequently promoted through Chinese state media, potentially giving Beijing an opportunity to shape young Americans’ views of China and the CCP.

Source: Defending Education, August 13, 2026
https://defendinged.org/investigations/little-red-classrooms-young-envoys-scholarship-program/

Briefings | | |   @CS US-China Relations

Chinese Intelligence-Linked Official Buys Building 200 Meters From White House, Raising Security Alarm

A report by The Daily Caller on August 13 raised concerns over Chinese espionage activities in the United States after Philip Qiu, whom the report describes as a former senior Chinese intelligence official, purchased a nine-story historic building less than 200 meters from the White House. Qiu and his family foundation reportedly paid $8.4 million for the Securities Building on July 21. Former CIA operations officer Bryan D. Wright warned that the property could potentially be used as an intelligence base to monitor communications and digital activity around sensitive government facilities.

According to The Daily Caller, Qiu’s background includes military training and work within China’s public security and United Front systems. University records reportedly described him as having received special-forces training, while Chinese government records show that he later worked in organizations affiliated with the United Front system, including the Shanghai branch of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the Shanghai Overseas Chinese Affairs Development Foundation. In 2023 and 2024, he reportedly helped organize visits for Hong Kong students to Shanghai’s special police forces.

Qiu also founded the Chinese American Museum in Washington, D.C., located about 700 meters from the White House. Although the museum says it has never received funding from, or been controlled or influenced by, any foreign government, The Daily Caller found that Chinese government entities had co-organized at least eight events with the museum, four of which received support from religious organizations controlled by the CCP’s United Front system.

Wright, China expert Gordon Chang, and national-security advocate Michael Lucci urged the U.S. government to investigate the property and consider measures to prevent individuals with alleged ties to Chinese intelligence and security agencies from acquiring strategically sensitive real estate near key government facilities.

Source: Liberty Times (Taiwan), August 15, 2026
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/5540464

Briefings | | |   @CS Defense/Military US-China Relations

China’s Continued Criticism of Japan Also Targets the United States

China has continued to pressure Japan diplomatically, militarily, and economically since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks last year about a potential “Taiwan contingency,” with no signs of easing, according to Nikkei Asia. Analysts say Beijing’s campaign is aimed not only at Tokyo but also indirectly at Washington, seeking to weaken the U.S.-led security order in Asia. Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly criticized Japan’s alleged return to militarism during meetings with foreign leaders, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi has also devoted significant attention to Japan in diplomatic engagements.

Japanese officials and China experts identify three main objectives behind Beijing’s pressure campaign. First, Xi’s strong reaction to Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks has hardened China’s policy toward Japan. Second, Beijing seeks to use Japan as a warning to other countries against challenging China’s position on Taiwan. Third, China views the U.S.-Japan alliance as a major obstacle to its efforts to expand its influence over the regional and international order.

Japan’s position as a key U.S. security partner and major power along the First Island Chain makes it particularly important to Beijing. By portraying Japan as returning to militarism, China hopes to undermine support for Japan’s defense buildup and its alliance with the United States. Beijing may also believe that President Trump’s relatively transactional approach to alliances provides greater room to pressure Tokyo.

However, the strategy carries risks. Major countries in North America, Europe, and Asia have largely rejected Beijing’s characterization of Japan as becoming militaristic. Continued Chinese pressure could instead heighten concerns about Beijing’s behavior and strengthen support for closer security cooperation with Japan.

Source: United Daily News (Taiwan), August 11, 2026
https://udn.com/news/story/6809/9683085

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend US-China Relations

Chinese Communist Party Cultivates Ties With U.S. Democratic Socialists

A Fox News commentary by Douglas MacKinnon on August 6 alleged that some members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have accepted Chinese government-sponsored trips to China, received VIP-level treatment, and publicly expressed support for the People’s Republic of China and “Chinese socialism.” The report cited research indicating that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has increasingly engaged with Western left-wing political groups through organized visits and high-level hospitality.

These exchanges appear to go beyond cultural diplomacy, with Chinese officials using carefully managed itineraries and political messaging to promote a favorable image of the CCP while downplaying criticism of its one-party rule, political repression, and human rights record. One DSA leader who recently visited China reportedly said Chinese officials treated the delegation “like royalty” and described the officials as displaying a “calm and comfortable confidence.”

The report also highlights an alleged double standard within parts of the DSA. While the organization advocates restricting or abolishing institutions such as police, prisons, ICE, and the military as instruments of state oppression, some members have expressed support for a Chinese political system built around extensive police, intelligence, surveillance, and censorship powers.

Source: Aboluo, August 10, 2026
https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0810/2419098.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics US-China Relations

Dunhuang Withdraws Job Offer to American Anchor After Backlash Over Taiwan Study, Think Tank Ties

China’s Dunhuang Media Center in Gansu province has confirmed that Edward Kuperman, an American it had planned to hire as an anchor, has given up the position, according to a China Central Television (CCTV) News report on July 31. Chinese internet users had earlier discovered that Kuperman studied in Taiwan and interned at a right-wing American think tank, sparking accusations that the city was “using public funds to support an anti-China figure.”

Dunhuang had reportedly offered a package worth 900,000 yuan (about $125,700) — a 300,000 yuan (about $41,900) annual salary plus 600,000 yuan (about $83,800) in subsidies — to recruit international communication talent in 2025. Kuperman, a Yale graduate in East Asian studies, was the only foreign candidate in the program.

CCTV News reported that local authorities clarified the compensation details after online criticism. The position was an off-payroll hire, and the widely circulated “900,000 yuan” figure was not an annual salary. The actual pay was 300,000 yuan pre-tax per year, plus a 30,000 yuan annual living allowance paid over ten years contingent on passing yearly reviews, and a one-time 300,000 yuan home-purchase subsidy for those who bought property locally after three years of service — partially refundable if employment ended before ten years. The real annual compensation was about 330,000 yuan (about $46,000).

Authorities also said an investigation team had been formed to review the recruitment process for compliance issues raised by some internet users, with corrections and accountability measures to follow.

Kuperman had reportedly studied in Taiwan through National Taiwan University’s ICLP Chinese-language program in 2023 and interned at the American Enterprise Institute, contributing to Taiwan-related reports. Officials said Dunhuang would proceed more cautiously in future talent recruitment while promoting Chinese culture and international exchange.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), August 1, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202608010078.aspx

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Florida Schools to Begin Teaching the History and Terror of Communist Regimes

Beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year, Florida public schools will implement new curriculum standards requiring instruction on the history of communist regimes and the human suffering they inflicted. The standards, approved by the Florida Board of Education in November 2025, were developed by Florida educators and subject-matter experts.

According to the Florida Department of Education, the curriculum is designed to provide students with an accurate and in-depth understanding of how communist ideology suppresses individual freedom, abuses power, and causes widespread human suffering. Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said the new standards are especially important as communist ideology has regained prominence in the United States and globally. He argued that students should understand the historical failures of communist regimes and develop a deeper appreciation for the values of freedom.

Under the new standards, middle and high school students will study the history of communist governments, including the links between communist rule and poverty, famine, political repression, violence, and other forms of state-sponsored terror.

Source: Epoch Times, July 31, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/7/30/n14820606.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics US-China Relations

CFIUS Chairman Calls for National Security Review of Chinese Solar Company’s Planned Facility Near Key U.S. Air Force Base

The chairman of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has called for a formal national security review of a proposed real estate transaction involving Chinese solar manufacturer SolarSpace (Zhongrun Solar). In a July 31 letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CFIUS Chairman and U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno expressed “serious concern” over the company’s reported plan to purchase or lease an industrial facility located approximately 13 miles from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. The proposed transaction involves a 1.1-million-square-foot industrial property at 2555 Woodman Drive in the Dayton area.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is one of the U.S. Air Force’s most strategically important installations. It hosts the headquarters of the Air Force Materiel Command, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, making it a critical hub for military research and development, procurement, intelligence, testing, and logistics. Moreno urged CFIUS to conduct a comprehensive review to determine whether the proposed investment poses a risk to U.S. national security.

The facility, formerly operated by Delphi and later Tenneco, has been undergoing renovation since Tenneco closed the plant in late 2023. The property is currently being marketed for lease or sale.

Source: Epoch Times, August 2, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/8/1/n14821681.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military US-China Relations

China and the United States Accelerate Competing AI Alliances

Beijing moved earlier than the United States to establish a national strategy for artificial intelligence (AI) and shape global AI governance. China issued the “New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan” in 2017, setting the goal of becoming the world’s leading AI innovation center by 2030 while calling for active participation in international AI governance and standards-setting. It subsequently launched the “World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC)” as a state-backed platform for AI diplomacy, introduced national AI ethics guidelines in 2021, and unveiled the “Global AI Governance Initiative” at the Belt and Road Forum in 2023.

On the U.S. side, the Trump administration’s first term emphasized maintaining American leadership in AI through deregulation, market-driven innovation, and limited government intervention. The “American AI Initiative,” launched in 2019, marked the first U.S. national AI strategy, while the United States also joined multilateral efforts such as the “Global Partnership on AI (GPAI).” Following President Trump’s return to office in 2025, the administration shifted its focus to winning the global AI race through deregulation, rapid infrastructure expansion, strategic competition with China, and reducing ideological constraints on AI development.

The Trump administration further strengthened cooperation with allied countries by launching the “Pax Silica Declaration” in December 2025 to establish a trusted AI and semiconductor supply chain independent of China. An initial group of seven countries—including Japan, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Israel—signed the declaration, while Taiwan, the Netherlands, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and the OECD participated in various capacities. At a second summit in Washington in June 2026, the coalition expanded to 35 countries and economies, which jointly endorsed the “Joint Statement on AI Opportunity,” emphasizing trusted supply chains, pro-growth, light-touch regulation, and accelerated AI infrastructure development.

Twenty days later, on July 16, 2026, China established the “World AI Cooperation Organization” (WAICO) in Shanghai with 29 founding members. The emergence of these two blocs signals an increasingly polarized global AI landscape, with competing approaches to AI governance, supply chains, and technology standards. China’s coalition consists primarily of Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, and developing countries in the Global South. While Beijing promotes an alternative framework centered on open-source cooperation, data sovereignty, and equality, the bloc’s combined technological capabilities remain significantly weaker than those of the U.S.-led alliance.

Source: Epoch Times, July 26, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/7/25/n14817344.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Information/Technology US-China Relations