The U.S. Pentagon designates China's Confucius Institutes as a national security threat

Updated 2026-10-25 · told from many outlets at once

The U.S. government has designated Chinese-funded cultural centers as national security threats, citing 80 new propaganda cells at 30 universities. These centers are seen as tools of the Chinese Communist Party, promoting Chinese culture under cover of education.

• The US Department of Defense labeled Chinese-funded cultural centers as a national security threat.
• The Confucius Institute's stated goal is to promote Chinese language and culture.
• Pete Hegseth stated that 80 new propaganda cells emerged in 30 universities.
• Washington views the centers as propaganda tools of the Chinese Communist Party.

Outlets: Aktuality.sk, Dnevnik.bg, Free Malaysia Today, G4Media, Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, Observador, SCMP China, Seznam Zprávy, Taipei Times, The Business Standard (BD), The Guardian, The Korea Times

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