Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman has been spending 10 percent to 15 percent of his waking hours over the last two and a half years helping to keep America safe — from China.
“I see potential friction in a whole variety of areas [with China], and potentially military confrontation,” Schwarzman told The Post.
That is why Schwarzman says he has been busy creating Schwarzman College, a stand-alone school housed at Beijing’s influential Tsinghua University that will be, for the most part, for American students.
Schwarzman’s belief is the 200 students enrolled in his one-year master’s program will be able to interpret China’s words and actions.
Students can start applying in April for the college, which will commence in 2016, he said.
Schwarzman has raised $300 million towards the $350 million target for creating the college.
The private-equity mogul said the idea came to him after Tsinghua University in 2011 asked him to help run a student-exchange program.
“I started to think about what I was interested in, and that was the impact of China ultimately becoming the world’s largest economy … [superseding] … America, where there is a lack of growth.”
Each Schwarzman college student will be matched with an accomplished local Chinese mentor in his or her field of study — public policy, economics and business, or international relations.
Alibaba founder Jack Ma has said he is interested in being one such mentor, Schwarzman said.
The Blackstone founder believes the interests of China and the US are aligned in several key areas.
Both sides want global growth, he said.
“I think also that neither country wants any type of military difficulties with each other.”
China invested $3 billion in Blackstone’s 2007 IPO at $29 per share. the shares closed Friday at $33.52, up 2 cents.