Who could be more suitable for tutoring the children of active servicemembers than a company closely linked to the Chinese Communist Party?
According to a report by the Daily Caller, the Chinese-owned Primavera Capital Group has a contract with the Department of Defense to offer Tutor.com, a company under its ownership, to servicemembers and their families.
The CEO, Fred Hu, not only has direct ties to the CCP but is also associated with organizations identified by the U.S. government as part of CCP’s “United Front.”
This “United Front,” also known as the United Front Work Department, has been flagged by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission as a group aimed at influencing foreign entities and gathering intelligence.
Considering that the UFWD has been characterized as a Chinese intelligence service, there are significant concerns about its provision of services to U.S. military families.
In a statement, a representative from Primavera denied that Hu has any ties to the Chinese Communist Party or any other political party. However, the Daily Caller’s investigation of Hu’s media appearances suggests otherwise. According to Military Times, Tutor.com has been offering free tutoring services to military families since 2009.
Primavera acquired Tutor.com in 2022 from the Korean company ST Unitas as reported by The Wall Street Journal in May. The questionable business relationship between Primavera and Tutor.com has not gone unnoticed.
The Daily Caller reported that Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton raised concerns in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on February 14 regarding various issues related to this business connection.
“I write regarding the Chinese-owned Primavera Capital Group’s contract with your Department to tutor American service members and their children,” Cotton wrote in the opening paragraph.
“This business relationship is ill-advised, reckless, and a danger to U.S. national security, and the Department should immediately end that relationship.”
Cotton observed the ties between Primavera and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, which reportedly invested $3 billion in Primavera in 2018, as reported by the Daily Caller.
The senator cited notable issues with Tutor.com, claiming it collects personal data on users, such as “location, internet protocol addresses, and contents of the tutoring sessions,” which is then sent to the Chinese government.
He concluded by asking questions about the company and the Department of Defense’s relationship such as “How much funding” has been given to Tutor.com, “How many military personnel or dependents use Tutor.com annually?” and “Are users informed their data will be shared with a Chinese company?”
Cotton accurately highlights the importance of examining the relationship with Primavera, especially in regards to any connections with China or Chinese entities. Given China’s history of engaging in deceitful tactics, it is crucial that such relationships are closely observed and evaluated.
The level of scrutiny and monitoring currently directed towards the relationship with Primavera appears inadequate. Particularly concerning is the potential risk posed by exposing information about military members and their families to a foreign nation.
It is imperative for the United States and its leaders to recognize the lengths to which China may go in order to undermine national security. It is time for decisive action to safeguard against any harmful intentions from China.
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