Pentagon labels Confucius Institutes a national-security threat

Pentagon Labels Confucius Institutes National-Security Threat

On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared the Pentagon has added Confucius Institutes to its national-security threat list. The move follows the discovery of 80 new propaganda cells hidden in 30 universities under different names. Hegseth called the centers "sleeper organisations" that steal intellectual property and infiltrate student minds. Washington has long accused the institutes of serving as Chinese propaganda tools. The Pentagon dismantled every cell in the past two months, according to the official video. Chinese officials in Washington did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. The institutes had previously been restricted by Congress, yet they resurfaced in new guises. Hegseth said the centers' mission was to infiltrate minds and steal intellectual property. The Pentagon's video claimed it had systematically dismantled every single one of these organizations. The action comes after the U.S. has long labeled Confucius Institutes as Chinese propaganda tools. The Pentagon's move underscores a broader effort to curb Chinese influence on U.S. campuses. No comment has yet been received from the Chinese embassy in Washington.