US Secretary Rubio Seeks Treasury Probe into Harvard Sanctions Breach Allegations

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is urging the Treasury Department to investigate whether Harvard University violated federal sanctions by collaborating with blacklisted Chinese officials during a health insurance conference in China. The conference, known as the "Training Course on Health Financing," involved participation from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a group sanctioned by the U.S. for human rights violations. Harvard has removed references to the Corps' participation from its website, though Chinese sources indicate their attendance as recently as 2023. This investigation is part of the Trump administration's broader campaign to scrutinize Harvard's international partnerships, which has already resulted in significant federal funding losses for the university. Experts note that Rubio’s call for sanctions enforcement against a domestic institution is highly unusual, highlighting increased tensions over academic collaborations with China. The outcome of this probe could have wide implications for U.S. academic institutions engaged in international work under stringent federal regulations.