The influx of Chinese money in American education could be leading to a chilling effect on free speech and the ability to criticize the Chinese government's human rights record. As Chinese companies are required to support their military, it would be impossible for tech companies to work with China if they were banned from supporting their military.
The US needs to make it illegal for tech companies to work with the Chinese military and for American leaders to pass legislation to ban cooperation with Chinese military entities. Additionally, Americans can make a difference by refusing to invest in Chinese companies and buying products made in China, which help them in their competition with the US as the biggest tech firms in China also work on military projects.
The idea that trading and investing with China would make them more democratic and engaging with the West is proven to be 1000% false under Xi Jinping. The refusal of American communities that profited from this idea to acknowledge and address the falsehood of it is dangerous.
Hollywood producers practice self-censorship when it comes to content that could be seen as offensive to Beijing as there is a risk it could restrict their activities in China, which they aim to capitalise on. This was highlighted by the recent Warner Brothers' refusal to depict Chinese soldiers having "themselves shot and killed by heroic American marines" in the remake of Red Dawn, while Netflix's push for subscriptions may mean they will soon work to enter the Chinese market.
Chinese money flowing into US universities is affecting the debate about China and promoting pro-Chinese propaganda, which raises concerns about the strings attached to this money.
Students at Yale University have raised concerns over the university's relationship with China and the influence the donations from Chinese billionaire, Joseph Tsai, have on restricting free speech on campus regarding human rights in China. This is addressed in 'Red Handed', a book by journalist Peter Schweizer.