The China–United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF, ) is a Hong Kong-based

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

whose stated aim is to encourage dialogue and exchanges between the people of the United States and China. CUSEF was founded in 2008 by

Tung Chee-hwa Tung Chee-hwa (; born May 29, 1937) is a Hong Kong businessman and retired politician who served as the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong between 1997 and 2005, upon the transfer of sovereignty on 1 July. He served as a vice chairman of th ...

, a billionaire, former

Chief Executive of Hong Kong The chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and head of the Government of Hong Kong. The position was created to replace the office of Governor of ...

, and former vice chairperson of the

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s United front (China), united front system. Its members adv ...

(CPPCC), who remains the chairman emeritus of the foundation. CUSEF's governing board has included members such as

Ronnie Chan Ronnie Chan Chi-chung (; born 1949) is a Hong Kong businessman. Education Chan earned bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from California State University, Los Angeles. He received an MBA from the University of Southern California ...

Elsie Leung Elsie Leung Oi-sie, GBM, JP (; born 24 April 1939) is a Hong Kong politician and solicitor. She was Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong from 1997 to 2005 and a member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong. Early life and education Leung was ...

, and Victor Fung. Foundation donors include multiple CPPCC members. CUSEF donates to universities and think tanks in the U.S. while also sponsoring trips for journalists, students, and former U.S. officials and politicians to China to speak with officials. According to various journalists and academics, CUSEF is a central part of the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

united front A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political and/ ...

strategy of influence in the U.S.

History

According to

Foreign Agents Registration Act The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) ( ''et seq.'') is a United States law that imposes Public disclosure of private facts, public disclosure obligations on Foreign agent, persons representing foreign interests.

(FARA) filings, CUSEF is classified as a "foreign principal" which has hired lobbying and public relations firms since 2009 such as Brown Lloyd James, Fontheim International,

Covington & Burling Covington & Burling LLP is an American multinational law firm. Known as a white-shoe law firm, it is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and advises clients on transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters. The firm has addition ...

, Capitol Counsel LLC, Podesta Group, and Wilson Global Communications to craft and promote pro-Beijing messages. In 2023, CUSEF launched a campaign to lobby members of the

Congressional Black Caucus The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is made up of Black members of the United States Congress. Representative Yvette Clarke from New York, the current chairperson, succeeded Steven Horsford from Nevada in 2025. Although most members belong ...

Sanya Initiative

Since 2008, CUSEF has partnered with the

China Association for International Friendly Contact The China Association for International Friendly Contact (CAIFC) is a united front organization subordinate to the Liaison Bureau of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission. CAIFC was founded in 1984 and is active in ove ...

and the

EastWest Institute The EastWest Institute (EWI), originally known as the Institute for East-West Security Studies and officially the Institute for EastWest Studies, Inc., was an international not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank focused on international conflic ...

to organize forums, termed the U.S.-China Sanya Initiative, between retired

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

(PLA) officers and retired U.S. military personnel. Past forums were reported to have attempted to influence retired U.S. military officers to lobby against U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and to delay a Pentagon report on PLA capabilities.

Trips for elected officials

In 2019, CUSEF sponsored a trip to China by a delegation of mayors from Indiana, Ohio, and South Dakota, including James Brainard and Paul TenHaken.

University funding

CUSEF funds the Pacific Community Initiative at the

Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a graduate school of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C. The school also maintains campuses in Bologna, Italy and Nanjing, China. The school is devoted to the study of int ...

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

. CUSEF also provides funding to the

University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana, United States. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. Fall 2024 saw total enrollment hit 10,811, marki ...

's Max S. Baucus Institute. In 2018, the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

refused a donation from CUSEF after a letter by Senator

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz was the solicitor general of Texas from 2003 ...

raised concerns about the foundation's reported links to the Chinese Communist Party. In 2023, US House representatives Mike Gallagher,

Ryan Zinke Ryan Keith Zinke ( ; born November 1, 1961) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Zinke served in the Montana Senate from 2009 to 2013 and as the U.S. re ...

, and

Matt Rosendale Matthew Martin Rosendale Sr. (born July 7, 1960) is an American politician and former real estate developer who represented Montana in the United States House of Representatives from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party, Rosendale ser ...

pressed the University of Montana to cut ties with CUSEF related to its funding of student trips to China.

Foundation grants

In 2021, CUSEF gave a $5 million grant to the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations. CUSEF also provides funding to the

Carter Center The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter. He and his wife Rosalynn Carter partnered with Emory University after his defeat in the 1980 United States presidential ele ...

and has partnered with the

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) is a nonpartisan international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations in Europe, South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the United States. Foun ...

Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as Brookings, is an American think tank that conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics (and tax policy), metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, global econo ...

Atlantic Council The Atlantic Council is an American think tank in the field of international affairs, favoring Atlanticism, founded in 1961. It manages sixteen regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic prosp ...

, and

Center for American Progress The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy think tank, research and advocacy organization which presents a Modern liberalism in the United States, liberal viewpoint on Economic policy, economic and social issues. CAP is headquarter ...

Hong Kong Forum on US-China Relations

CUSEF periodically holds the "Hong Kong Forum on US-China Relations" to facilitate exchanges between present and former officials, academics, and business leaders in the US, China, and other nations. In 2023, speakers attending the forum include former US ambassador to China and ex-senator

Max Baucus Maxwell Sieben Baucus ( Enke; born December 11, 1941) is an American politician who served as a United States senator from Montana from 1978 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a U.S. senator for over 35 years, making him the long ...

, former US Trade Negotiator Charlene Barshefsky and President of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly

Mogens Lykketoft Mogens Lykketoft (; born 9 January 1946) is a Danish politician who served as Leader of the Social Democrats (Denmark), Social Democrats (''Socialdemokraterne'') from 2002 to 2005. He succeeded Poul Nyrup Rasmussen as party leader. After losing ...

Hong Kong Forum 2024

The forum in 2024 included speeches from Xie Feng, China's ambassador to the United States, and Nicholas Burns, the US ambassador to China delivered through video. The forum was attended by former ambassador

, the 12th United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky, representatives from families of former US president Carter, Nixon, and Bush. John Moolenaar, chairman of the

United States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party The United States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party is a committee of the United States House of Representatives established in the 118th Congress, on January 10, 2023. The ...

, and

Fox News The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...

has criticized US officials from attending the forum, stating that it would "legitimize the CCP event."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:China-United States Exchange Foundation Think tanks based in Hong Kong Foundations based in Hong Kong 2008 establishments in Hong Kong United front (China)