Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.R. 8 (2021GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Pierucci, C.

Final action

House/ to Lieutenant Governor 3/15/2021

Outcome

House/ to Lieutenant Governor

Summary

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

RESOLUTION TO PROTECT UTAH'S INSTITUTIONS OF
HIGHER EDUCATION FROM CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY
INFLUENCE
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Candice B. Pierucci
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This resolution calls on Utah's institutions of higher education to close their Confucius
institutes and disclose certain information related to Confucius institutes to the
Legislature.
Highlighted Provisions:
This resolution:
▸ describes the history, purpose, and breadth of Confucius institutes at United States
institutions of higher education;
▸ describes concerns that government agencies and associations of scholars have
regarding China's use of Confucius institutes to spread propaganda;
▸ commends Utah's institutions of higher education that have closed their Confucius
institutes; and
▸ calls on Utah's institutions of higher education that have Confucius institutes to:
• disclose information about the institutes, including contracts between the
institution and China; and
• close their Confucius institutes.
Special Clauses:
None
Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
WHEREAS, since 2004, Confucius institutes at United States institutions of higher
education have offered a combination of Mandarin language classes, cultural programming,
and outreach to kindergarten through grade 12 schools and communities more broadly;
WHEREAS, Confucius institutes are staffed in part with visiting teachers from China
and are partially funded by the People's Republic of China government, under guidance from
the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department;
WHEREAS, as of August 2020, there were 75 Confucius institutes operating in the
United States, of which 65 were active on United States university campuses;
WHEREAS, the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
found that the Confucius institute program is run by the Chinese government through the
Ministry of Education's Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban);
WHEREAS, the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
found that each United States university with a Confucius institute signs a contract with
Hanban establishing the terms of hosting the institute, and those contracts generally contain
provisions that:
▸ both United States and Chinese laws apply to the contract;
▸ limit public disclosure of the contract; and
▸ state that the Chinese director and teachers must "conscientiously safeguard
national interests";
WHEREAS, in August 2020, the United States Department of State designated the
Confucius Institute United States Center, which is the de facto headquarters of the Confucius
institute network, as a foreign mission of the People's Republic of China and has stated that
Confucius institutes "push out skewed Chinese language and cultural training for United States
students as part of Beijing's multifaceted propaganda efforts";
WHEREAS, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Counterintelligence
Divisions has warned of China's efforts to conduct espionage through Confucius institutes;
WHEREAS, the American Association of University Professors has decried the threat
that Confucius institutes place on academic freedom;
WHEREAS, the National Association of Scholars has stated that Confucius institutes,
"avoid Chinese political history and human rights abuses, portray Taiwan and Tibet as
undisputed territories of China, and educate a generation of American students with selective
knowledge of a major country";
WHEREAS, in 2010, China's then Minister of Propaganda reportedly described the
country's foreign activity goal in the People's Daily, the largest newspaper group in China, as:
"Coordinate the efforts of overseas and domestic propaganda, further create a favorable
international environment for us... With regard to key issues that influence our sovereignty and
safety, we should actively carry out international propaganda battles against issues such as
Tibet, Xinjiang, Taiwan, Human Rights, and Falun Gong. Our strategy is to pro-actively take
our culture abroad...[w]e should do well in establishing and operating overseas cultural centers
and Confucius institutes";
WHEREAS, since 2014, 45 American universities in 30 different states have already
closed their Confucius institutes;
WHEREAS, several Utah institutions of higher education have Confucius institutes;
and
WHEREAS, it is essential that students in Utah's higher education system have access
to language and cultural offerings free from manipulation of the Chinese Communist Party and
its proxies:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
commends Utah institutions of higher education that have closed or are in the process of
closing Confucius institutes on their campuses.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature strongly encourages institutions of
higher education in the state with Confucius institutes to close the institutes before December
1, 2022.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature discourages Utah institutions of
higher education that do not have Confucius institutes from pursuing relationships with the
Chinese Communist Party or opening Confucius institutes.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that each institution of
higher education with a Confucius institute disclose to the Legislature the contract for the
institutes and any efforts by the institute to influence events hosted by the higher education
institution related to issues that may be deemed sensitive to the Chinese Communist Party,
such as events that are critical of Chinese Communist Party policies towards Taiwan, the
Uyghur minority, Hong Kong, Tibet, or repression of other ethnic and religious minorities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah Board
of Higher Education and each degree-granting institution that is part of the Utah system of
higher education.