there really is no safe way to operate a confucius institute.r cruz says it's past time to send beijing a strong message. >> the chinese communist government is a dictatorship, and it is cruel and repressive, it tortures and murders its citizens, and dictatorships hate sunlight. they hate truth. you know, we're sitting near my senate office. over my shoulder here, i don't know if the camera can get this, this is a picture, a painting of ronald reagan standing before the brandenburg gate. and up above written in german are the words "tear down this wall," in the style of the graffiti on the berlin wall. >> mr. gorbachev, tear down this wall. [cheers and applause] >> four, i think those are the most -- now, i think those are the most important words said by any leader in modern times. [applause] that's what the chinese government fears. they fear sunlight, so they spend money trying to stifle academic freedom in our universities, and universities shouldn't be willing to sell their academic freedom, they shouldn't be willing to allow the communist

it's called the con fiduciary shut institute the conservative leaning scholars says confucius shouldre hand selected and paid by the chinese government. the textbooks are being sent over and paid for by the chinese government. >> in a statement the confucius institute defended itself saying the programs are dedicated to teaching mandarin and teaching cultural awareness and that quote, the courses are managed and supervised by u.s. universities which also decide the content, structures, and textbooks. the national association of scholars says at least 15 universities have shut down or are in the process of kicking the confucius institutes off their campuses and more are expected to follow. chris? >> chris: eric, thank you. virginia state capitol is in serious and growing turmoil. our panel breaks down all the controversies that just keep coming from richmond. to make you everybody else... ♪ ♪ means to fight the hardest battle, which any human being can fight and never stop. does this sound dismal? it isn't. ♪ ♪ it's the most wonderful life on earth. ♪ ♪ woi felt completely helpless. t

a bipartisan support released called them confucius institutes.ese government has spend $158 million in the u.s. on these institutes and charges them with being a way to spread chinese government propaganda. the instituted encourages complacency after the government and business and academic institutions abroad. the chairman says the government should look into closing them. >> absent full transparency in how they operate for u.s. cultural institutions, they should not continue in my view. >> senators are exploring ways they operate in the united states. >> trace: and the chinese officials said they're okay. >> yes. the foreign ministry has said certain people and institutions in the u.s. are now trying to politicize without foundation the confucius institution. a program for normal cultural and educational exchange between china and the u.s. it's a cold war mindset and probably reflects that they're unconfident. another issue for the senators, the united states has a kepted to create a similar program in china but china has blocked the efforts. >

where sharing research and people working at stanford back to confucius centers. of sharing information going on with china away from trade. there is also espionage. how is the world going to trust china when spying going on? they are talking with african countries and saying "look, we will set up infrastructure and thin tapping into the entire information and intelligence." they did that with poland, by the way. then the issue of usmca, nasa two-point oh. will the president give us news on that tonight? those that have spoken with to say i'm not voting for it in the form that it is. if we cannot see usmca past, aim major blow for the administration because if we can't get a deal done with canada and mexico, what does that mean for the europeans and what does that mean for other countries at the president is trying to do deals with? i think trade is one of the most important issues the president can discuss tonight and we will see what he says. the china story is so much bigger than the chinese buying more stuff from the united states. we know china is willing to

whether we are due, christian, muslim, followers of india, of the great and insightful wisdom of confuciuscott adams. i'm board chair of the a.p.a. heritage foundation. we want to thank you for joining us this evening as we celebrate lunar new year, the year of the boar. we wish you and your family the best of fortune, prosperity and much happiness. we are a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing funds and coordinating resources to support the city's annual a.p.a. heritage organization festivities. our organization is made up of a very small board, and i'd like to introduce to you our directors. we have our treasurer, irene yee riley, our incoming treasurer, j.j. lara. board member matt mooey, and our founder and president, claudine ching. [applause] >> so although we're a very small organization, we're able to put on celebration events every year because of the dedicated members of the a.d.a. celebration committee, and that's a group of 30-some odd representatives of the community that makeup the a.p.a. community. so if you are a member of that group, can you please raise your hand?

whether we are due, christian, muslim, followers of india, of the great and insightful wisdom of confucius2019, treasure island development board meeting. item 1, call to order. [roll call taken] we do have a quorum. >> president tsen: next item, please. >> item 2, general public comment. allow members of the public to address the treasure island development authority board in the subject matter of the authority board and do not appear on today's agenda. in addition to general public comment, public comment held during each item on the agenda. members of the public may address the board up to three minutes.

whether we are due, christian, muslim, followers of india, of the great and insightful wisdom of confucius name is fwlend hope i would say on at large-scale what all passionate about is peace in the world. >> it never outdoor 0 me that note everyone will think that is a good i know to be a paefrt. >> one man said i'll upsetting the order of universe i want to do since a good idea not the order of universe but his offered of the universe but the ministry sgan in the room chairing sha harry and grew to be 5 we wanted to preach and teach and act god's love 40 years later i retired having been in the tenderloin most of that 7, 8, 9 some have god drew us into the someplace we became the network ministries for homeless women escaping prostitution if the months period before i performed memorial services store produced women that were murdered on the streets of san francisco so i went back to the board and said we say to do something the number one be a safe place for them to live while he worked on changing 4 months later we were given the building in january of 1998 we opened it as a safe house

since 2014, 13 universities have close down the confucius institutes. countrywide come i think there were about 100. but my previous comments about the global issue. while we have close about 13 in the u.s., there has been a 22% increase globally in asia, europe and other places. there is probably about 320-plus institutes globally. the education is getting off from the u.s. standpoint, it is trending the right way slowly, but again, it is a global problem. we're as weak as the relationships with some of the partners subject to influence. >> this is now where i make the obligatory pitch. > senator warner and i have created a bill of critical technologies to help coordinate the response to the threat across the board. i know everybody on the committee is interested in the topic. i want to switch gears for a moment and maybe ask this of director coats as well. if we look at the situation in venezuela, people know that it is important and now it is topical, we have had 3 million mierpgts flow into columbia, -- 3 million migrants flow into columbia, peru an