A new report by Defending Education reveals a covert infiltration of Chinese Communist Party propaganda in U.S. educational institutions through the Young Envoys Scholarship program.
The initiative, launched by President Xi Jinping in 2023 and administered by the China Education Association for International Exchange—whose stated ideology includes Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Xi Jinping Thought—has enrolled students at least 83 U.S. universities and 26 K-12 schools across 30 states.
Critics assert that the program functions as a Chinese Communist Party influence operation designed to reshape American students’ perceptions of China. Michael Lucci of State Armor accused the CCP of leveraging educational exchanges to alter how Americans view its regime. Reagan Dugan, from Defending Education, described the trips as part of a soft-power strategy and called for greater transparency when U.S. schools partner with Chinese government-affiliated organizations.
The report highlights a 2025 program newsletter that detailed a trip by 27 Chicago high school students to Xinjiang. During this visit, participants engaged in cultural activities while receiving a favorable portrayal of the region despite documented allegations of widespread human rights abuses against Uyghurs.
State-sponsored institutions, including the University of Illinois System, received $26.5 million in gifts from Chinese sources during a six-month period in 2021.
