WASHINGTON: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pushing for an investigation into whether Harvard University violated federal sanctions, citing internal documents and sources familiar with the matter.
At the center of the scrutiny is Harvard’s participation in a health insurance conference held in China, which may have involved officials linked to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) — a Chinese state-run entity blacklisted by the U.S. government over human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
According to the report, Harvard has already begun an internal review to determine whether its collaboration breached U.S. sanctions regulations.
Last month, Rubio reportedly approved a recommendation urging the U.S. Treasury Department to formally investigate Harvard’s potential violation. While Reuters could not independently verify the New York Times report, a Treasury Department spokesperson acknowledged that the agency takes such allegations “very seriously,” though declined to confirm or comment on any ongoing investigations.
The State Department and Harvard University also declined to comment. Harvard had not responded to Reuters inquiries as of publication.
The move comes amid broader tensions between elite academic institutions and federal authorities. Under the Trump administration, Harvard has faced increased scrutiny, including the suspension of grants and proposed changes to its tax-exempt status, triggering a wave of legal disputes.
