The House Select Subcommittee on the Chinese Communist Party is demanding the University of California, Berkeley, provide a trove of documents and information related to the school’s ties to a university in China.
In a letter dated July 13, subcommittee chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and House Education and Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) demanded that UC Berkeley disclose details pertaining to its partnerships with Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The two lawmakers cited “grave concern” that the CCP is using the university to its military, technological, and economic advantage.
OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE FRANK LAROSE ENTERS GOP SENATE PRIMARY
“The CCP abuses seemingly innocuous research collaborations like the one between Berkeley and Tsinghua to advance PRC science and technology goals at the expense of the United States,” the letter says. “The PRC has sent thousands of military scientists abroad to gather scientific-military know-how, obtain sensitive details regarding research projects and emerging technologies, and to gain access to American academics, their research, and their networks.”
UC Berkeley’s partnership with Tsinghua University centers on the Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, a joint research institute that involves the Shenzhen government. The institute marks one of the closest collaborations between a U.S.-based university and China.
In the letter, the lawmakers noted the institute engages in technological research that will likely be used for military purposes and collaborates with companies that are prohibited by the U.S. government from receiving “sensitive U.S. technology.” The letter also chastised the school for failing to report funding from the Chinese government for UC Berkeley research, a violation of Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which requires U.S. universities to disclose funding from foreign governments.
“Despite this extensive collaboration, publicly available information suggests that Berkeley has failed to disclose properly its contracts with its PRC partners as required by law,” the letter said. “Berkeley appears to have never declared any gift or contract from the PRC government, notwithstanding a reported agreement by the Shenzhen government to provide $220 million to build a campus in Shenzhen.”
The lawmakers have given the California university until July 27 to comply with their request.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, UC Berkeley said it “takes concerns about national security very seriously” and is “committed” to complying with all relevant statutes, including Section 117.
“UC Berkeley follows the lead of Congress and Federal regulators when evaluating proposed research relationships with foreign entities,” the university added. “As a matter of principle, it is important to note that UC Berkeley conducts fundamental research. Fundamental research is defined as basic and applied research in science and engineering where the resulting information is shared openly and broadly among the worldwide scientific community. As a public university, we make information on all discoveries and advances publicly available.”
