Public school student outnumber private school students by ~10:1. Public schools are not entities into which one could invest, and the curricula in most/all states are state approved (i.e. outside influence on curriculum is minimal). OTOH, even if China has "invested" in every private school, they are reaching ~9% of students in the US; $17M would be a drop in the bucket, so it would buy little or no influence. And of course Christian, Jewish, and Islamic schools aren't likely to accept "investment" from China.
All in all, this article is Himalayanizing a tiny anthill. As for private schools or after-school supplementary instruction that features Chinese language, there are very distinct differences between the accents common in Taiwan and that/those of mainland China academia. Taiwanese parents would recognize a mainland accent and might be wary because of it.