Lawmakers Ask Rubio to Designate Chinese Student Group as a Foreign Mission

Unlike the Confucius Institutes, whose presence in the United States has diminished amid heightened U.S. scrutiny, CSSAs have remained active.

Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Rep. John Moolenaar speaks during an event in Washington on Feb. 11, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Three prominent Republican lawmakers are urging the State Department to designate a key Chinese student group as a foreign mission, arguing the step is necessary to “protect American campuses” from covert Chinese influence.

In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the trio expressed “grave concerns” about the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) advancing Beijing’s interests across U.S. academia, an issue they described as “serious foreign policy and national security risks.”