Pentagon designates Confucius Institutes a threat to US national security
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Chinese-funded Confucius Institutes on university campuses have been added to the Pentagon's list of institutions threatening national security. He alleged the groups were operating under different names.
The US Department of Defense has designated Confucius Institutes, Chinese-funded cultural centers on American university campuses, as a threat to US national security. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the move on Friday, October 23. It continues Washington's long-running stance toward the centers, which the US has for years accused of serving as tools of Chinese propaganda and against which it has already taken restrictive steps.
Hegseth's claims
In a video posted on social media, Hegseth alleged that the institutes had been operating in disguise at US universities and that the Pentagon had added them to its list of institutions that threaten national security.
He said 80 new "propaganda cells" had emerged across 30 universities. According to him, they used different names and different charters but pursued the same mission: stealing intellectual property and influencing the minds of American students.
The secretary said the defense department had "systematically dismantled every single one of these organizations" over the past two months. The source does not explain in detail how this was done.
China's response
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
