FIRST ON FOX: A senior diplomat of the Chinese Communist Partywho recently replaced a controversial official with deep ties to top New York Democrats, recently touted his relationship with an American university president and former top education official in New Jersey.
Chen Li, who assumed the position of consul general of the People’s Republic of China in New York last month, took to social media last week to praise the “warm hospitality” he received from Kean University President Lamont Repollet.
“Absolutely overwhelmed by President Repollet’s warm hospitality. I truly felt at home on this campus.” Li wrote in. “Commitment to bilateral educational exchange and people-to-people connections is key to the success of Wenzhou-Kean University, a joint Chinese-American institution.”
Repollet, who served as New Jersey’s education commissioner under Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy for more than two years, was seen smiling in two of the photos Li posted. According to Repollet’s Kean University biography, he was in charge of “overseeing the shift to remote education amid the COVID-19 pandemic and playing a key role in planning for the 2020-2021 school year.”
China’s Consul General in New York, Chen Li, posing with Lamont Repollet of Kean University. (Consul General of China in New York)
Despite Biden and Trump administration officials warning of CCP influence, Repollet has developed deep ties with China dating back several years, according to a Fox News Digital review. He recently visited Beijing in October this year to deliver a keynote address at the Triennial Conference of the International Association of University Presidents, held in Beijing.
Conference press releases highlighted how passionate Repollet was about equity in education and that his keynote address highlighted how “AI is a revolutionary tool that can advance equity and transform the way we engage with students and support their success.”
“AI has the power to help close achievement gaps and ensure that every student, no matter their challenges, has access to high-quality educational resources,” he continued. “By offering personalized learning experiences, AI gives historically marginalized students the tools they need to succeed.”
Months earlier, Chinese state media amplified Chinese President Xi Jinping’s letter to Repollet, which was in response to a letter he sent to Xi, according to state media.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during his inspection of the People’s Liberation Army’s Western Theater Command on July 26, 2023. (Li Gang/Xinhua via Getty Images)
“Recently, President Xi Jinping responded to a letter from Lamont Repollet, president of Kean University in the United States, encouraging Chinese and American universities to strengthen exchanges and cooperation and contribute to the friendship between China and the United States,” the Chinese government said in a Press release.
“Recalling witnessing the signing ceremony of the China-U.S. cooperation agreement on the joint establishment of Wenzhou-Kean University in 2006 at Kean University, Xi Jinping said he was pleased to see that with the joint efforts of both sides, “Wenzhou-Kean University has achieved remarkable results and become a landmark project in educational cooperation between China and the United States.”
“Xi expressed appreciation for what Repollet said in his letter about deepening cooperation with Wenzhou-Kean University and encouraging American students to come to China for exchange and study, and called on universities in the two countries to step up exchanges and cooperation through different modalities to cultivate young envoys who know both countries well and build more bridges to promote friendship between China and the United States,” the statement continued.
President Xi Jinping meets the press after the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi’an, China, May 19, 2023. (Li Xueren/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Additionally, a press release from Wenzhou-Kean University touted Repollet’s “momentous” visit to China in April 2023.
“Kean University President Lamont O. Repollet and his delegation embarked on a momentous visit to Wenzhou, the first in three years,” the news release said. “This visit presented a unique opportunity to strengthen interactions between the two universities, foster people-to-people exchanges between Zhejiang Province and New Jersey in the United States, and enhance the long-standing friendship between the two countries.”
The press release said Repollet arrived in China on March 20, 2023 and “wasted no time” meeting Wenzhou Party Secretary Shuji Liu Xiaotao.
“Mr. Liu Xiaotao expressed his hope that the two sides will continue to build a model of Sino-US cooperation in education and foster a bridge of friendly exchanges, with a bright future ahead for the university,” the press release states. “President Repollet expressed his sincere gratitude to the Wenzhou government for its unwavering support for the construction and development of WKU.”
Xiaotao has been a member of the Chinese Communist Party since 1991 and has served in various roles during the last decades.
Additionally, a Chinese state media company held an event in New York City in September of this year that included Repollet as a speaker where, according to a Press release“emphasized the importance of cultural exchange and people-to-people diplomacy to foster mutual understanding between nations.”
The list of speakers included several Chinese officials, including Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the United States, and Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the publicity department of the CCP Central Committee. Haixiong also serves as head of the China Media Group, which is a crucial media conglomerate that plays a major role in the country’s state media apparatus.
While Repollet’s ties to China have strengthened since he became president of Kean University, his Facebook profile shows that he made multiple visits to China before becoming Kean’s top administrator.
For example, a Facebook post from 2016 shows Repollet attended the inaugural graduation of Wenzhou-Kean University in China as a member of the university’s board of trustees. He also attended the 2017 inauguration in China, according to another Facebook post.
Before Chen Li assumed the top position at the Chinese consulate in New York, that position was held by Huang Ping, who has a long history from promoting CCP propaganda and calling the CCP a “great party,” denying the alleged Uyghur genocide, and meeting with officials across the United States at universities, media companies, and elected officials.
Huang Ping meets with Pennsylvania State Senator Sharif Street. (Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York)
Huang Ping, Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in New York (YouTube screenshot/Chinese Consulate General in New York)
Repollet also has ties to Ping dating back to 2021, according to a press release from the Chinese consulate in New York. Ping and Repollet met virtually in December 2021, where Ping congratulated him on his appointment to Kean University and praised “the university for setting a good example of China-US educational cooperation with its successful 10-year campus in “Wenzhou, China.”
“(Repollet) strongly agrees that educational cooperation plays a unique role in people-to-people exchange and enhancing understanding and friendship between the Chinese and American people,” the consulate’s news release said. “(Repollet) confirms that the university highly values globalization and diversity, and strongly supports cooperation with China.”
Months before, Repollet recorded a video on behalf of the Chinese Consulate in New York celebrating “the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.” In the video, he highlighted his university’s “strong ties” to China and said he was “immensely grateful to our Chinese partners and to the people at Kean USA who continue to work together to help this university and especially our students thrive.” .
“I look forward to continuing to collaborate with our partners in China to further develop this great institution and celebrate events like China’s National Day together (and) in the future,” Repollet continued.
A 2023 post on facebook It also shows Repollet participating in an event to mark the last day of the Chinese New Year, in which Ping participated.
Michael Sobolik, author of “Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance,” raised the alarm about this close relationship between Repollet and China, telling Fox News Digital that this relationship is a “cautionary warning.”
“The university houses a Human Rights Institute, but makes no mention of Beijing’s ongoing genocide of the Uyghurs, its cultural genocide in Tibet, its political repression in Hong Kong, or its broader oppression of the Chinese people at home and abroad. abroad,” Sobolik continued. . “This is what happens when American universities partner with the Chinese Communist Party: Money and market access incentivize Americans to ignore the party’s atrocities and remain silent.”
China expert Michaele Sobolik said Kean University’s relationship with China is a “cautionary story.” (Getty Images)
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China’s consulate in New York, which previously stood firm on the CCP narrative when responding to multiple queries from Fox News Digital, dismissed Sobolik’s analysis as a “so-called ‘expert'” who “lacks a basic understanding of China.” “.
“Statements regarding Xinjiang, Xizang, Hong Kong and human rights are factually incorrect and represent typical disinformation. We firmly oppose such slander and defamation,” the consulate continued. “Educational exchange and cooperation between China and the United States are in line with the laws and common interests of both sides, and are transparent and beyond reproach.”
“Kean University is known for promoting educational equity and inclusion, and its cooperation with China will provide more learning and development opportunities for students of all ethnic backgrounds in the United States,” the consulate added. “We urge some people in the US to take off their ‘colored glasses’ and view cooperation objectively and positively.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Kean University for comment but did not receive a response.
