Pentagon labels Chinese-funded campus cultural hubs a national security risk

The United States Department of Defense has officially designated Chinese-backed campus cultural centers, historically known as Confucius Institutes, as threats to national security, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

In a video shared on social media, Hegseth announced that the Pentagon added these organizations to its official registry of entities posing a security risk. He asserted that the centers have continued to function across American higher education institutions by disguising their true identities under alternative labels.

According to Hegseth, investigators identified 80 revised propaganda cells operating across 30 different university campuses. He stated that these bodies adopted altered charters and names while maintaining an objective to steal intellectual property and influence American college students.

The defense secretary added that over the preceding two months, defense officials systematically shut down and dismantled each of the identified operations.

American officials in Washington have long voiced suspicions regarding Confucius Institutes, repeatedly characterizing them as influence and propaganda mechanisms tied to the Chinese government. Over recent years, federal authorities have enacted various measures aimed at curtailing their presence and restricting federal funding to institutions that host them.

The Embassy of China in Washington did not issue an immediate response to inquiries seeking comment on the Pentagon's announcement.