The University of Missouri State has been accused of running a business program that allegedly received taxpayer support over a period of two decades to educate Chinese executives tied to China's military-industrial complex.
The report, compiled by a geopolitical research firm, alleges that the university operated an MBA and Executive MBA pipeline that trained over 1,500 Chinese executives, government officials, and state-owned enterprise managers beginning in 2001.
Graduates of the program included executives linked to Aviation Industry Corporation of China, a state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate designated by the U.S. Defense Department as a Chinese military company.
The report's authors argue that the program occupied a blind spot in Washington's scrutiny of U.S.-China academic ties, which have been focused on issues such as STEM research theft and harassment of Chinese students.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the university denied that any taxpayer dollars were used to fund the program, stating that students studied a conventional business curriculum with no evidence of misconduct or espionage.
The report alleges that participants were largely recruited and selected through Chinese government agencies, state-owned enterprises, and CCP-linked organizations rather than through the university's standard admissions process.
Chinese government documents described the partnership as a "China-U.S. state-to-state cooperation project," with some participants later holding positions at U.S.-restricted organizations.
The report identifies a gap in oversight, citing the lack of attention to degree-granting pipelines, defense industry participants, and regional public universities.
The allegations raise fresh questions about national security risks and foreign interference on college campuses, amid growing alarm over Chinese influence in higher education.
A recent report warned that top U.S. universities have partnered with Chinese AI labs tied to Beijing's surveillance state and co-authored papers with entities linked to efforts targeting Uyghur Muslims.
The House Select Committee on China has launched an investigation into universities partnering with China's China Scholarship Council, citing concerns about the program's ties to Beijing's military establishment.
Lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at limiting Chinese influence, including a bill that would prohibit federal funding for university intelligence-related programs if schools maintain relationships with organizations alleged to have ties to the CCP.
President Donald Trump has stated that he is not in favor of banning Chinese students from studying in the United States, citing the potential strain on relations with China.
