The I thought I'd start with a quick story by way of explanation. Professor Vay Ling Wong is with us here today,

Professor, where I didn't see you. Welcome, nice to see you.

Several years ago, Professor Wong took a trip to China where he was scooped up by security

agents inside of China.

He was held in a secret location for two weeks.

One was interrogated and threatened. They wanted information about his research about China

and his time teaching at my alma mater West Point.

He could tell you the stories better than I could, but they thought they could intimidate him or perhaps recruit him because he's ethnically Chinese.

It's a blessing.

He's here with us today and thankfully was released after pressure from the leadership,

lots of places, including this very university in the Carter Center.

The lesson I think that we can take away from this is clear.

It's that the Chinese Communist Party wants what we have and they will do whatever they must do to take it and get it.

They will steal our stuff, they will pressure critics of the Chinese Communist Party

to keep quiet. They will do whatever it takes. And it's

important to come and talk with the American people about this because Americans must

know how the Chinese Communist Party is poisoning the well of our higher education

institutions for its own ends and how those actions degrade our freedoms and American

national security.

If we don't educate ourselves,

if we are not honest about what's taking place,

we'll get schooled by Beijing.

...