Report Says 83 Universities and 26 K-12 Schools Participated in Xi Jinping Exchange Program

A new report released by Defending Education alleges that an exchange program associated with Chinese leader Xi Jinping has reached dozens of American schools and universities, with participation spanning both higher education and K-12 classrooms. The program, according to the report as described by Fox News, is operated through a Marxism-Leninism-focused agency affiliated with the Chinese government, and it includes exchanges described by the group as promoting Xi Jinping-era ideology within U.S. education settings.

The report claims that 83 U.S. universities and 26 K-12 schools joined the exchange program, describing a broad footprint across school types and state and local jurisdictions. Defending Education frames the program’s expansion as evidence of how foreign political messaging can intersect with American education, while also arguing that institutions may not have fully accounted for the ideological and governance purpose of the program they joined.

Fox News reports that the exchange program is linked to an agency described in the report as supporting Marxism-Leninism education and that it operates through structured partnerships that involve hosting and participation by U.S. institutions. The report’s central contention, as presented in the coverage, is that U.S. education institutions can become points of entry for foreign political narratives through academic exchanges rather than through formal curriculum adoption alone.

The report also raises questions about transparency and due diligence, particularly for K-12 schools where decisions may involve district policies, state oversight, and public scrutiny. Because participation in exchanges can involve guest lecturers, visiting delegations, classroom materials, or programming tied to foreign institutions, the report argues that communities and parents may have limited visibility into the ideological content and program objectives that accompany exchange activities.

At the federal level, oversight of foreign engagement in K-12 and higher education is typically spread across multiple authorities, including rules relating to public school procurement and contracting, grant and program compliance, and accreditation or institutional governance. However, neither the Defending Education report nor the Fox News coverage provides, in the available account, a direct description of any specific enforcement action or federal determination based on the alleged participation counts.

Defending Education’s findings, as summarized by Fox News, come as questions about foreign government influence in domestic institutions have continued to appear in public debate. In that context, the report’s focus on the size of the exchange footprint and the involvement of both universities and K-12 schools is likely to drive calls for additional disclosure and review by school boards, university administrators, and state education officials, according to the framing used in the coverage.

Because the central numerical claims and program descriptions are drawn from a single report and have not been accompanied in the provided record by court filings, regulator findings, or official documentation confirming the program’s structure, the specific mechanisms of participation at each institution remain to be independently verified. Defending Education and the institutions referenced in the report may face requests for documentation, including partnership agreements, program terms, and details about hosted activities and any curriculum or materials involved, before conclusions about compliance and risk can be fully assessed.