High Country Times

Congress is investigating “grave research security concerns” surrounding the University of California Berkeley’s joint institute with Tsinghua University and the Shenzhen government in China.

House members Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who serves on the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the Chairwoman of the Education and Workforce Committee, recently sent a letter to Dr. Michael Drake, UC president, and Carol Christ, UC Berkeley chancellor, expressing national security concerns, according to a July 17 press release.

"We write to you to express our grave concern about the University of California, Berkeley’s (Berkeley) joint institute with state-controlled Tsinghua University and the Shenzhen government," the representatives wrote in the letter. "With locations in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the U.S., the Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute (TBSI) gives the PRC easy access to Berkeley research and expertise, which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can then use to its economic, technological, and military advantage."

The representatives claim that 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.”

The Select Committee on the CCP is concerned about China’s potential access to research through Berkeley's Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute and has opened an investigation into the university to better understand its connections with the CCP, the release stated.

“The CCP abuses seemingly innocuous research collaborations like the one between Berkeley and Tsinghua to advance PRC (People’s Republic of China) science and technology goals at the expense of the United States,” the letter stated. “Under the CCP strategy of military-civil fusion, seemingly civilian technologies—such as those developed through university collaborations—are mobilized to support the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).”

The lawmakers' letter also raised questions about the possibility of the CCP accessing research that could strengthen their military or similar capabilities and raised concerns about TBSI collaborating with PRC universities or banned companies. They also shared concerns over UC Berkeley's failure to disclose funding of more than $200 million from the city of Shenzhen and Tsinghua.

“Berkeley has failed to disclose properly its contracts with its PRC partners as required by law,” the letter stated. “Specifically, section 117 of the Higher Education Act requires institutions of higher education that receive federal financial assistance to disclose any gifts received from, and contracts with, a foreign source that, alone or combined, are valued at $250,000 or more in a calendar year.”

The lawmakers allege 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.”

Tsinghua University’s U.S.-based 501(c)(3) entity, the Tsinghua Education Foundation North America (TEFNA) also agreed “to provide Berkeley with millions of dollars to set up TBSI—however, Berkeley apparently did not view this funding as subject to disclosure under Section 117,” according to the letter.

The representatives are seeking a wide range of documents and information in their investigation including a list of all foreign funding received by TBSI, meeting minutes among the regents of the university that mention TBSI, as well as documents that show all “compliance and due diligence mechanisms in place for research taking place at TBSI and in the U.S., and in the PRC.”

The committee is also seeking answers to several questions. The university has until July 27 to respond to the letter, according to the release.