Biden withdraws Trump rule on schools disclosing ties to Chinese state-run Confucius Institutes

Biden withdraws Trump rule on schools disclosing ties to Chinese state-run Confucius Institutes 

The Biden administration quietly tossed a proposed rule that would have required U.S. universities and K-12 schools with foreign exchange programs to disclose any financial ties or other connections to Chinese state-run Confucius Institutes. 

The decision was met with swift backlash from Republicans, who, along with the FBI, State Department, and Education Department during the Trump administration, expressed concern about the potential for Chinese influence operations inside the United States with Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms. 

Democrats, so far, have yet to react to the change. Former President Donald Trump’s administration made the proposal, “Establishing Requirement for Student and Exchange Visitor Program Certified Schools to Disclose Agreements with Confucius Institutes and Classrooms,” on New Year’s Eve. 

But before the rule made its way to the Federal Register or went into effect, the Biden administration withdrew it on Jan. 26, less than a week after Inauguration Day. “ICE can confirm that the rule was withdrawn on Jan 26. 

ICE does not speculate about future pre-decisional proposed rules or policies,” a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.