House Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Address Threats Posed by Beijing-Run Confucius Institutes

A Confucius Institute at the University of North Florida in a file photo. The institute has since been closed by the university. Huang Yuntian/The Epoch Times

Reps. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) have introduced a bill aimed to limit the influence of Beijing-funded Confucius Institutes on U.S. universities.

“Confucius Institutes are directly funded by the Communist Chinese government, which suppresses freedom of speech, academic freedom, and other democratic values,” Shalala stated in a July 14 press release.