The president of Communist China, who was heckled for three minutes–three sweet little minutes–as he stood outside the White House in April, also spent some time at Yale University. Dan Gelernter made note of the visit in Red Yale”. (“I don’t like waking up to the Chinese communist national anthem,” was the understandable conclusion.) But while red-blooded Yalies may not have appreciate such pomp for one of the world’s cruelest oppressors, Hu Jintao certainly was taken by Yale.
He’s now returned the favor financially. The Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission has added Yale University to its Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors list. Old Eli’s men now stand as a pack with only forty other institutions worldwide permitted to invest in “A-class” shares of Chinese business. Officials at Yale are, no doubt, excited.
Beatrice Bartlett, a Yale history professor emeritus and member of the East Asian Studies Council was quoted by the Yale Daily News as saying, “Yale is being favored by China these days… President Levin has built up a very good relationship with China through his numerous trips there.”
In low comedy, this move comes after student activists campaigned last winter to force Yale to divest of holdings which may support the Sudanese government. Human rights concerns, there.
But none in China, right?
I wonder if Hu will be adding VMI or West Point to its list of Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors any time soon.