A $13.5 million taxpayer-funded research grant raises questions from a leading Republican who says it is “alarming” that such a massive amount of money is being funneled from the Pentagon to a US university with strong ties to China.
Chinese Communist Party House Select Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher says he has deep security concerns regarding a five-year grant from the Department of Defense to Alfred University in 2022 to conduct research on hypersonic weapons.
Gallagher sent letters from DailyMail.com to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Alfred University President Mark Zupan on Wednesday night asking for more information.
Alfred University houses a Confucius Institute and collaborates with a Chinese university that conducts similar weapons research “on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).”
Chinese Communist Party House Select Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher sent letters obtained by DailyMail.com to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Alfred University President Mark Zupan
Gallagher states that “to put it plainly” the university – located in western New York – “does cutting-edge, hypersonic weapons-related research while actively collaborating with a Chinese university doing similar research for the PLA.”
“We are seeking additional information on this alarming issue and Alfred’s commitment to protecting sensitive US military research,” Gallagher wrote.
The chairman refers to text in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that prohibits the Pentagon from providing money to “institution”[s] of higher education that will house a Confucius Institute after 1 October 2023.
He points out that since Alfred University’s DOD grant to “improve the performance of ceramic materials used in weapons (i.e. cross arms)” runs until 2027, they will be in violation of the law in October.
As a result of Section 1062, more than 100 American universities have closed their Confucius Institutes by June 2022. However, Alfred University continues to operate a Confucius Institute to this day,” said the president.
Gallagher demands all communications between the Pentagon and the university by June 14, as well as more information about the creation of Alfred’s Confucius Institute.
It is vital to US national interests that sensitive military research is protected from our foreign adversaries.
According to the website, Alfred University’s Confucius Institute (CIAU) has a mission to “encourage and empower people to discover China’s fascinating language and rich culture.”
“We serve as a platform for cultural exchange, as well as a bridge of friendship and cooperation between Chinese and American people,” it continues.
The institute hosts numerous events throughout the year, including a recent spring 2023 festival and a dance competition.
In 2019, the FBI found that “adversaries of foreign states attempt to illegally or unlawfully acquire U.S. academic research and information to further their scientific, economic, and military development goals.”
FBI Director Chris Wray outlined the threat in a 2020 speech, saying China pays scientists at American universities to “secretly bring our knowledge and innovation back to China — including valuable, federally funded research.”
Gallagher states that “to put it plainly” the university – located in western New York – “does cutting-edge, hypersonic weapons-related research while actively collaborating with a Chinese university doing similar research for the PLA.”
Gallagher writes that he has deep security concerns regarding a five-year grant from the Department of Defense to the university in 2022 to research hypersonic weapons.
He says the FBI is seeing an increase in these cases, pointing to a few recent arrests of Chinese researchers at the Cleveland Clinic and at the University of Arkansas who allegedly committed fraud by concealing their participation in Chinese talent recruitment programs while “accepting millions of people ‘. dollars in US federal grants.”
China’s infiltration of universities is just the tip of the spear.
In April, two individuals were arrested for operating an illegal overseas police station in lower Manhattan under the direction of the Chinese government.
The defendants collaborated to establish the “first overseas police station in the United States” on behalf of the CCP’s Fuzhou branch.
“It is absolutely outrageous that the Chinese Ministry of Public Security thinks it can get away with setting up a secret, illegal police station on American soil to support its efforts to export repression and undermine our rule of law,” said acting deputy director. Kurt Ronnow of the FBI. That’s what the Counterintelligence Service said in April.
DailyMail.com reached out to Alfred University for a response to Gallagher’s concerns.
The Pentagon spokesman told DailyMail.com that DOD will respond to all congressional correspondence “as appropriate.”
“We don’t have anything extra to offer at the moment.”