WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik issued the following statement upon demanding transparency from Harvard University President Alan Garber, regarding evidence of repeated interactions and collaborations between Harvard faculty and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) entities.
The letter, written with House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), outlines several aspects of wrongdoing by the university:
- Harvard repeatedly hosted and trained members of the CCP paramilitary organization Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC);
- Harvard researchers collaborated with China-based academics on research funded by an agent of the Iranian government;
- Harvard researchers used funding from the Department of Defense to partner with China-based academics on research with potential military applications; and
- Harvard researchers partnered with China-based individuals linked to China’s defense academic and industrial base on research that could advance China’s military modernization.
The letter also raises concerns regarding Harvard’s lack of transparency and oversight in sensitive medical research collaborations, particularly in the context of China’s widely documented practice of forced organ harvesting targeting ethnic and religious minorities.
"Harvard University must be held accountable. I demand full transparency and immediate cooperation with the Select Committee’s investigation. We must ensure that no American institution enables the CCP’s military modernization or the Iranian regime’s technological ambitions — especially under the guise of academic exchange," said Chairwoman Stefanik.
Harvard University’s actions represent a grave betrayal of the American people, our national security, and the foundational values of academic responsibility. Any institution of higher education that accepts taxpayer support must uphold the laws of our nation, protect our national interests, and act ethically. Harvard's alleged conduct — including training members of a sanctioned Chinese paramilitary group and conducting joint research with Iran-backed and PLA-linked institutions — raises serious legal, moral, and national security concerns.These actions appear to directly contradict U.S. sanctions law, and they may have actively aided genocidal actors and hostile foreign militaries," concluded Chairwoman Stefanik.
“Harvard trained members of a sanctioned Chinese paramilitary group responsible for genocide, and its researchers partnered with Chinese military universities on DoD-funded research and worked with researchers funded by the Iranian regime,” said Chairman Moolenaar. "These are not isolated incidents—they represent a disturbing pattern that puts U.S. national security at risk. The Select Committee’s investigation will deliver answers, expose the truth, and hold Harvard accountable to the American people."
“No American university or college should be assisting the CCP in expanding its influence, oppressing American citizens, or undermining U.S. national security," said Chairman Tim Walberg. "Unfortunately, we have found several instances in which Harvard University aided and even collaborated with the CCP – including helping Chinese researchers on military projects funded by the Iranian government. This is unacceptable and President Garber needs to provide answers to Congress for this colossal failure.”
Read the letter HERE.
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