Chinese Communist Party influence is becoming a growing problem in some U.S. schools, Oklahoma's top elected state education official told FOX News a day after he battled House Democrats who appeared more concerned with the influence of fossil fuel companies and domestic conservative institutions.
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, who was previously a public school teacher, claimed late Wednesday the Chinese government-backed Confucius Institutes are exerting undue influence on some schools, including within his home state.
Confucius Institutes via Confucius Classrooms – billed as Chinese language and cultural organizations and named for the 6th Century-BC philosopher – are engaging in subversion of American values, Walters said in separate interviews with FOX News Digital and "America's Newsroom."
"What we have found is the [Chinese Communist Party] has funded the Confucius Classrooms inside American schools, which, by their own words, is a propaganda campaign of a soft power attempt to undermine the American Constitution and American values. We're taking steps to end this in Oklahoma," he told "America's Newsroom" Wednesday.
Walters called for congressional action to blunt the influence of such programs, which he warned amount to a national security risk.
He further accused Tulsa Public Schools, the state's largest district, of engaging with Confucius Classroom programs, and doing so indirectly through an intermediate organization.
According to an August investigation by Tulsa's FOX affiliate KOKI, the Tulsa school board approved such an initiative through a Texas-based professional development organization.
School officials told the outlet that resources as well as the salaries of teachers involved in the program were paid by the school district, not any outside entity.
"Students benefiting from our teacher's supplementary professional development with the International Leadership of Texas have achieved high honors in the past year, including placing in the Oklahoma Chinese Speech competition and the National Chinese Speech Contest," school officials told the outlet.
The district has repeatedly denied it received any funds from Beijing.
In a statement to "America's Newsroom," Tulsa Public Schools said in-part the district "has no Confucius classroom programs in its schools." In a report from "The Oklahoman," the district reportedly funded a professional development class for a Chinese language teacher a one high school, which was facilitated through a Confucius Classroom Coordination Office at an outside, Texas-based organization.
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In another statement to Tulsa's CBS affiliate, Tulsa Public Schools said Walters has wrongly focused on a "Chinese language professional-development program for a single teacher" and that the development offering is via an organization that partners with Confucius Classroom.
"The teacher’s salary and adopted instructional resources are fully paid for by Tulsa Public Schools. Contrary to Superintendent Walters’ accusations, the district takes no funds from the Chinese government," the statement continued, adding students have achieved high marks in Chinese speech competitions thanks to the offering.
But Walters contends Chinese influence in places like Tulsa are much more concerning than other officials let on, claiming Tulsa school officials are not being completely forthright.
"The reality is we have their contract that they signed with the CCP-affiliated group, which talks about a financial agreement and a financial exchange," Walters said.
He provided the contract to FOX News Digital, the first part of which was in Chinese text and the second in English.
The contract was billed as an agreement between the Confucius Classroom Coordination Office ad the International Leadership of Texas Global and Tulsa Public Schools, "on the establishment of the Confucius Classroom at Booker T. Washington High School."
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The contract stated the Confucius Classroom at Booker T. Washington "shall be a non-profit institution with the purpose of enhancing understanding and friendship between the young people of China and the United States by sponsoring the teaching and learning of the Chinese language and culture."
It stated the school may conduct Chinese language and culture programs and proficiency tests, organize exchange programs and conduct cultural activities.
"The reality is we have their contract that they signed with the CCP-affiliated group, which talks about a financial agreement and a financial exchange," Walters said in regard to the contract.
"And that's why you see us continuing to push for not only in our state, requiring all districts to not only provide transparency of any dollar that comes from a foreign government, but also the dollars that come from their nonprofits because they have set up this apparatus that makes it very difficult to see how much money was exchanged…"
Walters also expressed concern that such programs may or already do lead to data collection by groups linked to foreign adversaries, adding he has seen many organizations trying to collect student data, which he characterized as a cybersecurity and national security threat to the homeland.
Walters said he has seen evidence of censorship overall in such programs, alleging reticence to discuss Taiwan or the Tiananmen Square protests.
He said American public schools should continue to be open to engaging with organizations aligned with allies like Great Britain, Canada and Germany, and dismissed claims from the left that his objections are rooted in racism against other cultures.
When asked about such allegations by House Early Childhood Education Subcommittee Chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fla., Walters testified, "I completely reject that notion."
He also told FOX News that he was outraged by other critiques from Democrats in the hearing, claiming they tried to compare concerns over Confucius Classroom initiatives with influence from oil companies and advocacy group PragerU – co-founded by right-wing radio host Dennis Prager.
During the hearing, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., asked about PragerU's new partnership with Oklahoma, saying the organization has received funds from fossil fuel companies.
"It was outrageous to listen to Democrats compare a domestic threat as identified by our own national security, Communist China, to oil and gas companies and Prager U," Walters told FOX News Digital, emphasizing oil companies' positive impact on the economy.
Walters said the CCP does not want American children to have a quality education, and are not concerned about cultural learning or any other stated goals.
"That's not why China is… investing programs in the country… They told us why they're investing – absolutely [in] a propaganda campaign to undermine American values."
FOX News Digital reached out to Tulsa Public Schools for additional comment but did not receive a response.
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