Pentagon Calls Confucius Institutes a Threat to US Security — Channel NewsAsia

In the United States, the Pentagon has added China-funded Confucius Institutes operating at universities to a list of institutions it considers a threat to national security. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said this, Channel NewsAsia reports.

Statement by the Pentagon chief

In a video published on social media, Hegseth said that Confucius Institutes had operated at US universities under different names and charters. According to him, 80 new structures appeared at 30 universities, which he called propaganda hubs.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

The Pentagon chief also accused these structures of stealing intellectual property and attempting to influence American students. Washington had previously accused Confucius Institutes of spreading Chinese propaganda and taken measures against them.

Statement on termination of operations

Hegseth said that the US Department of Defense had systematically terminated the operations of all such organizations over the past two months. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment in response to journalists' inquiries.