The United States Department of Defense has officially designated Chinese-funded cultural centers, known as Confucius Institutes, as a threat to national security. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the move in a social media video on Friday, stating that these organizations have been added to the Pentagon's list of entities posing a risk to the nation.
Hegseth alleged that these institutes have been operating under various disguises at American universities. According to the Defense Secretary, approximately 80 new entities have emerged across 30 universities under different names and charters, but he asserts they maintain the same underlying mission: to infiltrate the minds of American students and steal intellectual property.
For years, Washington has characterized Confucius Institutes as tools for Chinese propaganda. While these institutes are funded by Beijing to provide Chinese language instruction, critics have long accused them of presenting exclusively the communist government's worldview. Hegseth noted that over the past two months, the Defense Department has been systematically dismantling every one of these organizations.
The federal government has previously taken legislative action to address concerns regarding these centers. The US Congress has already implemented restrictions on funding for universities that host Confucius Institutes. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately provide a response to a request for comment regarding the latest designation.
