Concerns are mounting in Washington over Chinese-backed investment in U.S. education following reports that companies with links to China have acquired hundreds of American schools. One example frequently cited is Spring Education Group, which operates roughly 240 schools across 19 states and is financed by a Chinese investment firm whose CEO has been described as a strong Chinese nationalist. Critics argue that these investments may be driven by motives beyond profit, warning that they could be aimed at influencing American education and introducing ideology aligned with the Chinese Communist Party, a prospect they describe as dangerous.