JOINT STATEMENT: E​ndorsement of Athenai Institute’s Washington Appeal

CONTACT: Andrew Sugrue, V​P of Communications, GWCD​ • ajsugrue@gwu.edu

Patrick Burland, D​irector of Public Relations, GWCR ​ • pburland@gwu.edu

FOR RELEASE:​ 18 May 2020

"GW College Democrats and GW College Republicans join the College Democrats of America, the College Republican National Committee, and numerous state federations in endorsing the Athenai Institute’s Washington Appeal, a campaign that seeks to remove the influence of the Chinese Communist Party from U.S. college campuses.

"The Chinese Communist Party exerts soft power on U.S. college campuses through Confucius Institutes, which peddle misinformation, suppress academic freedom, and condone the grievous human rights abuses being committed against the Uyghur people.

"Universities are places that serve to educate, broaden horizons, and expose students to new ideas and experiences. The CCP, through Confucius Institutes, erodes the freedom and rights of students to learn on campuses by engaging in censorship, intimidation, and discrimination. As a result, discussion of the genocide being committed against the Uyghurs is silenced, as is the imprisonment and torture of Chinese citizens by their government.

"Confucius Institutes also utilize discriminatory hiring practices and promote bigotry against Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, the LGBTQ+ community, feminists, environmentalists, and countless other groups that form an integral part of college communities. GW College Democrats and GW College Republicans are proud to stand together against the censorship of the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights abuses, and against the Confucius Institute’s propagation of bigotry and misinformation.

"Hatred and prejudice cannot be tolerated anywhere, in any form, or at any time. It bears reiterating that opposition to the Chinese Communist Party’s projection of soft power should not lead to discrimination, xenophobia, and racism against Chinese students or their culture.

"GW College Democrats and GW College Republicans endorse the Athenai Institute’s Washington Appeal, and support their goals of rooting out discrimination and misinformation on college campuses by closing all Confucius Institutes."

###