Investigative Report on CSSA Acting as CCP Oversea Agent
Introduction
Chinese Student and Scholar Association (CSSA) comprises students and scholars from mainland China, who study and work in universities around the world. As early as year 2000, CSSA exists in at least 12 countries. In the U.S. alone, there are at least 109 such associations. [1] According to China Scholars Abroad, an official website created by Chinese government, there are more than 60 CSSAs in the U.S. [2] However, the real number is far larger. For example, only CSSA-UK is listed for Great Britain [3], but there are at least 71 CSSAs in all parts of United Kingdom. [4] This investigation report reveals how the Chinese embassies and consulates export Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s human right violation policy to other countries and interfere with the internal affairs on those lands.
- Each School's CSSA is under direct leadership of Chinese consulate
Many universities' CSSA states directly in its bylaw or on its website that the organization is under the leadership of Chinese embassy or consulate. For example, on the CSSA-Republic of Ireland's website, Tang Jiwei from Education and Culture Section of Chinese Embassy in Ireland is listed as official contact. [5] We have verified that he is the First Secretary in the education group of the embassy, [6] and the group's office is listed as the contact address of CSSA- Republic of Ireland. [7] In England's Sunderland University, its CSSA bylaw states that “our association is under leadership and guidance of Chinese Embassy in United Kingdom and CSSA-UK.” [8] Cheng Xusen, the executive and web team member of CSSA-Sunderland also clearly states in his status report that “CSSA-Sunderland is under leadership, supervision and management of the Chinese Embassy in Great Britain and the Chinese Consulate General in Manchester.” [9] Membership meeting duties outlined in Germany's CSSA-Wuerzburg include “passing on and discussing how to carry out the orders from the Chinese Embassy and the Ministry of Education of China.” [10] CSSA-France's Art Troupe states in its bylaw that the group is under the guidance and supervision of Chinese Embassy in France's Education Section. [11]
The education consul and consul in Chinese consulates directly control or influence CSSA by acting as its advisor
For example, two out of three CSSA Advisory Board members of Columbia University are from the Chinese Consulate General in New York City. They are education consul Fanglin Ai and Da Yao, consul in charge of New York City and Long Island. [12] Da Yao is not only the advisor of Columbia University CSSA (CUCSSA), but also the advisor of Weill Medical College of Cornell University CSSA. [13]
On June 8, 2007, New York University Chinese Student and Scholar Association, also known as New York University Chinese Culture Club (NYUCCC) initiated a signature campaign on its website against NTDTV International Chinese Classical Dance Competition. [14] On June 17, CUCSSA published an open letter on its website to support NYUCCC, and in the meantime, posted nine articles to attack and defame Falun Gong. In all those articles, website of Chinese Embassy is linked. With a click, one can see the original postings on the website of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America. [15]
- CSSA Presidents Conference
In the early days, Chinese embassies and consulates could not guarantee 100 percent control of CSSA in all the schools because its president was elected locally by the member students. Around the year 2000, Chinese consulates in different areas planned and established CSSA Presidents Committee.
On February 9, 2003, the official CCP mouthpiece Xinhuanet reported that the US Southwest CSSA Presidents Committee had been founded at the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles. The report announced that “The Committee enrolled CSSA of 18 colleges and universities, as well as national laboratories in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Hawaii as members, including 12 president’s units” “to foster the friendship and strengthen the ties to all kinds of associations, student clubs and oversea Chinese…”[16]
- CSSA carries out anti-Falun Gong activities under the leadership of Chinese consulate
Directed by Chinese consulate, CSSA carries out anti-Falun Gong activities, many of which took place inside the consulate. In February 2001, CSSA members in Huston area attended anti-Falun Gong forum held at the Chinese Consulate General in Houston. [17] In the article of CSSA-Sunderland's Cheng Xusen, he also mentioned that his organization had cooperated with the Chinese consulate to carry out anti-Falun Gong activities. [18]
On May 26, 2007, the Education Section of the Chinese Consulate General in Houston hosted a meeting for CSSA presidents from Texas and Louisiana. [18] Those presidents reported their achievements in “suppressing the moving space of enemy force”. [19]
- Chinese embassies and consulates provide operating funds to CSSA
According to Article 19 of the “Tentative Measures on Implementing Financial Responsibilities at the Education Section (or Group) of Overseas Embassies and Consulates”, issued by the Ministry of Education of China, “Propaganda Fund Disbursement” is specified, whereby Education Section (or Group) of overseas embassies and consulates are required to “follow regulation and allocate fund for student's social activities” each year. At the beginning of the year, the students social associations should submit detailed budget, and at the end of the year, actual expense report to the Education Section (or Group).” [20]
Zhang Pingqiang was the CSSA President at the George Brown College and the Windsor University in Canada. In his writing, he disclosed that the Chinese consulate provided funds to each CSSA. [21] It was also clearly stated in the finance section of the Oxford University CSSA's bylaw that “CSSA funding came from Embassy disbursement, donations, sponsors and ticket sales.” [22]
Example 1: The Year 2005 Financial Statement of CSSA at the University of Tennessee showed: Three quarters of budget came from fund disbursed by the Chinese consulate, the other 25% came from excess fund carrying over from 2004. [23]
Example 2: In 2006, Chinese Embassy in the U.S. gave CSSA at the North Carolina State University four separate fund for activities around Mid-autumn Festival and National Day of People's Republic of China. They were $1,200, $1,700, $1,173, and $1400, for a total of about $5,000.
Example 3: Ivy League schools on the east coast of USA received special attention from CCP and obtained more operating funds. One MIT alumni disclosed in his article on The Epochtimes that the publicized portion of the left over fund of the CSSA at MIT was more than $25,000 in 2003. [25]
- CCP mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency and oversea CSSAs echoed with each other
NYUCCC published its open letter on its website attacking NTDTV International Chinese Classical Dance Competition on June 8, 2007, causing strong repercussion abroad. The Epochtimes reporter tried to interview the President of NYUCCC and the related consuls at the Chinese Consulate General in New York City, but received no response. [26] The person who was identified as the owner of the cell phone number of the President of NYUCCC denied his identity. During the period, CCP mouthpiece Xinhuanet continuously reprinted “unnamed” articles from the Kaiwind website on June 20, 21 and 22, 2007, respectively, to bolster NYUCCC up. [27]. But the article of June 20 only had a few sentences from the beginning left at the Xinhuanet web page.
References:
1.China Scholars Abroad http://www.chisa.edu.cn/chisa/article/20050819/20050819008194_1.xml
2. CSSA@UK http://www.cssauk.org.uk/
3.CSSA@UK http://www.cssauk.org.uk/local
4. CSSA@Ireland http://www.cssaireland.org/index.php?option=com_contact&Itemid=3
5. Major staff at Chinese Embassy in Ireland: Tang Jiwei, First Secretary of Education, 01-2691501 (phone), 01-2839938 (fax) http://ie.chineseembassy.org/chn/sgxx/t108809.htm
6.Brief Introduction to Education Section of the Chinese Embassy in Ireland http://ie.chineseembassy.org/chn/jy/t213658.htm
7. Regulation of CSSA-Sunderland: 3. Function and Responsibility: Our organization is under guidance of Chinese Embassy in Great Britain and CSSA-UK. http://www.cssasunderland.co.uk/list.asp?unid=138
8. CSSA-SUNDERLAND http://www.cssasunderland.co.uk/list.asp?Unid=174
9. Wurtzburge CSSA regulation http://wuerzburg.kaiyuan.de/classical/c5.htm
10. All France CSSA website: regulation of All France CSSA's Art Troupe http://www.ucecf.org/xlyst.htm
11.CUCSSA http://www.cucssa.org/advisory.asp
12. www.medcssa.org/node/422
13.WOIPFG http://www.zhuichaguoji.org/node/1397
14.http://www.cucssa.org/anclass.asp?id=49
16. “Founding of US Southwest CSSA Presidents Committee”, XinhuaNet 2003-02-09 , http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2003-02/09/content_720176.htm
17. “Chinese Students in Houston Expose and Criticize Falun Gong”, Newsletter of Chinese Students in America, March 26, 2001
18. CSSA-SUNDERLAND: “… co-operate with our Chinese embassies and consulates in Great Britain to carry out activities such as make young students successful, broaden view of Chinese students and scholars, strengthen communication, set up assistance mechanism, maintain close tie with our motherland, fight against Taiwan's independence and fight against Falun Gong.”
19. China Scholars Abroad: In the afternoon of May 26 (2007), the Education Section of Chinese Consulate General in Houston held a meeting for CSSA presidents from Texas and Louisiana. Education Consul Wei Liqing. Wu Shixing, Ren Changsong, and Feng Liwei attended.
About 30 CSSA presidents showed up.
The meeting was warmly participated. Every CSSA president was eager to speak one after another about their “achievements” in serving Chinese students, advocating and spreading Chinese historical culture, suppressing moving space of enemy force, and improving educational and cultural exchange and cooperation between the United States and China. They also shared about their experiences in CSSA work, as well as the opportunities and challenges faced.
20. Auditing Department of Sun Yat-Sen University website: Ministry of Education's notice on publishing the “Tentative Measures on Implementing Financial Responsibilities at the Education Section (or Group) of Overseas Embassies and Consulates”, Revision Time: March 7, 2007, Education-Financial [2005] No.2. http://ce.sysu.edu.cn/sjc/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=485
21. “Current situation and development of Chinese Student Association in Canadian Universities”: 8. Function of the Consulate. It is said that CSSA at each school is a non-political organization, but surely has political tendency, which is a must. Because Consulate provided funding and resources for each CSSA, and this assistance is tremendous, solving all the (financial) worries for the CSSA. http://www.studyinca.com/cn/artis/arti_61.htm
22. Bylaw of CSSA at Oxford University http://users.ox.ac.uk/~cssa/depts&members.htm
23. 2005 Ficsal Year Financial Total --- CSSA (University of Tennessee Knoxville)
24. http://www.ncsu.edu/stud_orgs/cssfa/index.html
25. “Open letter of a MIT alumni to oversea Chinese students regarding CSSA”, The Epochtimes http://epochtimes.com/gb/7/6/22/n1751002.htm
26. “NYUCCC and Chinese Consulate try to shirk responsibilities on slandering NTDTV's Dance Competition”, The Epochtimes
http://epochtimes.com/gb/7/6/14/n1743291.htm
27. “NYUCCC called to boycott Falun Gong's 'Dance Competition'”, XinhuaNet, 2007-06-20 “Open Letter causing panic within upper echelons of Falun Gong”, XinhuaNet, 2007-06-21
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