$13.5 million taxpayer dollars are funding a research grant to a university with ties to China

A $13.5 million taxpayer-funded research grant is stirring up questions from a top Republican who says it is ‘alarming’ that such a massive amount of money is being funneled from the Pentagon into a U.S. university with strong ties to China.

House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher says he has major security concerns regarding a five-year grant by Department of Defense to Alfred University in 2022 to conduct hypersonic weapons research.

Gallagher sent letters obtained by DailyMail.com to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Alfred University President Mark Zupan Wednesday evening demanding more information. 

Alfred University hosts a Confucius Institute and partners with a Chinese university conducting similar weapons research ‘on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).’

Gallagher states that ‘to put it plainly,’ the university – based in western New York – is conducting ‘advanced, hypersonic weapons-related research while actively partnering with a Chinese university that performs similar research for the PLA.

‘We seek additional information regarding this alarming matter and Alfred’s commitment to safeguard sensitive U.S. military research,’ Gallagher writes.

The chairman references text in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that prohibits the Pentagon from providing money to ‘institution[s] of higher education that hosts a Confucius Institute’ after October 1, 2023. 

He points out that since Alfred University’s DOD grant to ‘improve the performance of ceramic materials used in weapons (i.e., cruise weapons)’ goes through 2027, they will be in violation of the law come October.

‘As a result of Section 1062, over one hundred U.S. universities shut down their Confucius Institutes as of June 2022. However, Alfred University continues to operate a Confucius Institute to this day,’ the chairman states.

Gallagher is demanding all communications between the Pentagon and the university by June 14, as well as more information regarding the establishment of Alfred’s Confucius Institute.

‘It is vital to U.S. national interests that sensitive military research is safeguarded from our foreign adversaries,’ he says.

According to its website, the Confucius Institute at Alfred University (CIAU) has a mission to ‘encourage and enable people to discover the fascinating language and rich culture of China.’

‘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 dance competition. 

In 2019, the FBI found that ‘foreign state adversaries seek to illicitly or illegitimately acquire U.S. academic research and information to advance their scientific, economic, and military development goals. 

FBI Director Chris Wray outlined the threat in a 2020 speech, saying China pays scientists at U.S. 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 – based in western New York – is conducting ‘advanced, hypersonic weapons-related research while actively partnering with a Chinese university that performs similar research for the PLA

Gallagher writes that he has major security concerns regarding a five-year grant by Department of Defense to the university in 2022 to conduct hypersonic weapons research

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 were allegedly committing fraud by concealing their participation in Chinese talent recruitment programs while ‘accepting millions of dollars in American federal grant funding.’

China’s infiltration into universities is just the tip of the spear. 

In April, two individuals were arrested for operating illegal overseas police station in lower Manhattan, at the direction of the Chinese Government.

The defendants worked together to establish the ‘first overseas police station in the United States’ on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the CCP. 

‘It is simply outrageous that China’s Ministry of Public Security thinks it can get away with establishing a secret, illegal police station on U.S. soil to aid its efforts to export repression and subvert our rule of law,’ Acting Assistant Director Kurt Ronnow of the FBI Counterintelligence Division said in April.

DailyMail.com reached out to Alfred University for a response to the concerns outlined by Gallagher. 

The Pentagon spokesperson told DailyMail.com that with all congressional correspondence, DOD will respond ‘as appropriate.’

‘We have nothing additional to provide at this time.’