House Committees Accuse Harvard of Prioritizing Chinese Ties Over Security

The House Select Committee on China and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce released a 53-page report alleging that Harvard University prioritized financial ties with China over United States national security. The investigation, titled “Compromised Independence: CCP Influence at Harvard University,” claims the university received over $600 million from Chinese sources—the highest amount of any U.S. university—and utilized a non-profit affiliate, Harvard Global, to circumvent federal foreign funding disclosure laws.

Investigators identified more than 140 publications co-authored by Harvard researchers and institutions tied to Beijing's military and defense-industrial base, including the Seven Sons of National Defense. Specific examples cited include research on bio-inspired soft robots and a 2023 paper on magnetic materials co-authored with the blacklisted National University of Defense Technology. The report also alleges that the university may have allowed members of the sanctioned Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps to participate in executive education programs at the Chan School of Public Health.

Committee chairmen John Moolenaar and Tim Walberg demanded that Harvard centralize its research security, overhaul vetting procedures, and prohibit collaboration with sanctioned entities. Harvard University responded by stating it follows federal national security standards and guidance for international collaborations, dismissing the report's findings as mischaracterizations of its compliance record. Separately, the United States Department of Justice has launched a review into Harvard's foreign funding disclosures totaling approximately $4.5 billion.