China Institute Acting as a Cultural United Front in the US
News Analysis
The role of the China Institute, or Huamei in Chinese, is different from that of ordinary Asian institutions in the United States. The China Institute in New York has become part of Beijing’s efforts to infiltrate the international community.
Founded in 1926, the China Institute is the oldest base in the United States to promote Chinese culture in American society. At the beginning of its establishment, it was sponsored by the Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program.
The original building of the China Institute in the Upper East Side of Manhattan was an elegant red brick building with a beautiful Chinese garden. The villa was donated by Henry R. Luce, then President of Time Inc. in 1946. Many people in the Chinese community enjoyed the cultural atmosphere for its elegance and etiquette.