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Minnesota’s higher education institutions have also come under the microscope. Several universities in the state, including the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State University, were connected to the controversial Confucius Institute programs. While the Chinese government presented the Confucius Institutes as cultural exchange programs, the U.S. State Department labeled them as propaganda tools of the Chinese Communist Party.
During his tenure as governor, the Confucius Institute at St. Cloud State University remained active, despite mounting pressure from Congress and the Trump administration to close these institutes. According to America First Legal (AFL), by September 2023, only ten Confucius Institutes remained in the U.S., with St. Cloud State’s still operating.
The Confucius Institutes have since been declared foreign missions of the PRC, a designation that emphasizes their role as tools for advancing Beijing’s influence. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the institutes as “an entity advancing Beijing’s global propaganda and malign influence campaign on U.S. campuses and K-12 classrooms.”
Although Confucius Institutes have been largely shut down across the country, the National Association of Scholars reports that the Chinese Communist Party has pivoted to other tactics, including “Confucius Classrooms” in American primary schools. One of these classrooms reportedly operates in St. Cloud, Minnesota, potentially raising more alarms about the spread of Chinese influence in the state’s educational system under Walz’s watch.
America First Legal’s investigation highlights a growing concern: what has Gov. Walz done, if anything, to prevent Chinese Communist influence in Minnesota’s educational institutions? Furthermore, the AFL press release questions whether Minnesota’s taxpayer-funded schools and universities have been used to advance China’s development in sensitive technologies, such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and even bio-weapons.
To uncover the full extent of Walz’s relationship with China, America First Legal is demanding all relevant records, communications, and calendar entries from the Minnesota governor’s office. Specifically, the group is seeking documents referencing the Confucius Institute, the Ministry of Education of the PRC, the Beijing Genomics Institute, and any connections between Walz and Chinese Communist Party members.
“The Trump Administration and its bipartisan partners in the Congress had no illusions about the Chinese Communist Party’s nature and intentions. Accordingly, they took strong action to expose and terminate the CCP’s influence operations in the United States, including its many Confucius Centers around the country, and to protect our research enterprise,” said AFL Senior Vice President Reed D. Rubinstein.
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In contrast, Rubinstein added, “Gov. Walz’s long and troubling history of sympathetic engagement with the Chinese Communist Party and its instrumentalities suggests, at best, a blind disregard for our national security. The truth about Gov. Walz must be exposed.”
As this investigation unfolds, the primary concern is national security. The extent of Chinese influence in Minnesota’s educational system, and potentially its technological sectors, is alarming. Critics of Walz argue that his ties to China could have opened the door to foreign meddling in sensitive industries, with significant repercussions for U.S. security.
While Gov. Walz has not yet responded to the investigation, the findings could have far-reaching implications, not just for Minnesota but for the broader national conversation on foreign influence within the United States.
As America First Legal intensifies its efforts to expose the truth, one thing is clear: the public deserves transparency about Gov. Walz’s interactions with the Chinese Communist Party. As concerns grow about Chinese influence in American institutions, this investigation could be a pivotal moment in holding officials accountable for their international ties.
