WestExec, a consulting firm co-founded in 2017 by Joe Biden’s pick for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, scrubbed one of its services offering U.S. research universities the opportunity to garner funds from foreign donors, such as those in China.
In July, the company listed “U.S. research universities” as a beneficiary of its services, assisting prominent colleges by “expanding foreign research collaboration, accepting foreign donations, and welcoming foreign students in key STEM programs” without violating any Department of Defense-sponsored research grants, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
By August, however, the WestExec’s section detailing “Managing China-related Risk in an Era of Strategic Competition” was revised, offering a new example detailing its services for a U.S. manufacturing firm.