Four Texas universities recently were urged by their representatives in Congress to severe ties with the Chinese government-funded Confucius Institute.
U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, and Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, sent a bipartisan letter to Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas Southern University in Houston.
“In light of China’s subversive behavior and malicious intent to suppress our American values of free expression, speech and debate,” they wrote, “we respectfully and strongly urge you to consider terminating your Confucius Institute and other agreements with Chinese government-supported organizations.”
McCaul is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and Cuellar serves on the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Both publicized the letter in a statement accusing the language and cultural center of being a front for spreading Chinese propaganda.
John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, confirmed this week that the program is being discontinued at the main campus in Bryan-College Station and at Prairie View A&M University, a historically Black college located near Houston.
“We have great respect for Congressmen McCaul and Cuellar,” Sharp said in a statement. “I don’t question their judgment, nor their patriotism. In addition, they have access to classified information we do not have. We are terminating the contract as they suggested.”
Texas A&M’s five-year contract with the Confucius Institute was already set to end in June and will not be renewed, said Laylan Copelin, spokesman for the Texas A&M University System. He said the university was given $125,000 for participating in the program.
