The Pentagon has designated cultural programs linked to China's Confucius Institute as a national security threat, according to U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The centers largely offer Chinese language and culture courses on U.S. campuses, according to accounts of the announcement published Oct. Hegseth alleged the programs operate as fronts for Beijing's propaganda campaign, an allegation Chinese officials have previously denied [1].
Washington has long accused Confucius Institutes of serving as Chinese propaganda tools and has taken steps to crack down on them [2].
Background: Congressional Pressure and 2020 Designation
Congress passed measures in recent years that stripped universities hosting Confucius Institutes of federal funding, leading to the closure of multiple centers on U.S. soil [3]. A provision in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act cut off Pentagon funding to universities hosting the centers, and many later closed, according to a ZeroHedge account [3].
In 2020, the U.S. Department of State designated Confucius Institutes as a foreign mission of the People's Republic of China, requiring the institutions to provide information on personnel, recruitment, funding, and operations [4][5]. Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged the centers were working to recruit spies and collaborators at U.S. colleges and said he hoped all would be closed [4].
China's Foreign Ministry at the time denied the allegations and accused Pompeo of undermining cultural and educational exchanges out of ideological bias and political expediency [1]. Pompeo's remarks followed the August 2020 designation of the Confucius Institute U.S. Center as a Chinese foreign mission [4]. More than 70 Confucius Institutes were operating in the United States at the time, as Campus Reform documented [6].
Pentagon Action and Allegations
He said the entities were added to a list of institutions that threaten U.S. national security and described them as sleeper organizations [7]. Al Jazeera reported that Hegseth characterized the centers as propaganda cells operating under new names at 30 universities [8].
The official alleged the targeted entities sought to steal intellectual property and infiltrate the minds of American students, but he did not provide concrete evidence, according to accounts of the announcement [9][10]. Hegseth said the Confucius Institutes came back disguised in new forms and under new names after congressional measures targeting them [11][10]. The Epoch Times reported that Hegseth said the Pentagon dismantled the rebranded centers after audits flagged risks to American research [12].
The announcement drew on longstanding federal concerns about foreign influence in U.S. academia. Federal agencies have partnered in recent years to enforce foreign funding transparency at universities, citing billions in unreported foreign gifts [13].
Reactions and International Context
Chinese officials have previously denied allegations that Confucius Institutes serve as fronts for Beijing's propaganda campaign [1]. The Global Times reported that the Defense Department's decision drew a sharp rebuke from an official social media account affiliated with China's government [14].
In Australia, six local universities shut Beijing-backed cultural centers amid government scrutiny last year, reducing the number of such entities in the country by half [15].
The designations have also drawn attention to the scope of Chinese funding at U.S. institutions.
Conclusion
The action adds Confucius Institutes to a list of institutions the Defense Department considers threats to national security [7].
Supporters of the action cite national security concerns, while Chinese officials have rejected the allegations and criticized restrictions on cultural exchanges [1][14].
References
- Pentagon designates Chinese cultural centers national security threat .... https://www.198russianews.com/2026/10/24/pentagon-designates-chinese-cultural-centers-national-security-threat-rt-world-news/
- Pentagon designates Confucius Institutes in US a national security threat. https://ae.marketscreener.com/news/pentagon-designates-confucius-institutes-a-national-security-threat-ce785cdfdc8ffe26
- Pentagon Designates Confucius Institutes A National Security Threat. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pentagon-designates-confucius-institutes-national-security-threat
- Pompeo_ All Beijing-run Confucius Institutes in the US could be closed by year-end - NaturalNews.com, September 05, 2020.
- Dozens of US universities still taking millions from Chinese front group despite federal warning - NaturalNews.com, August 26, 2020.
- SAT test maker touts ties with Chinese Communist Party-funded Confucius Institutes - NaturalNews.com, August 03, 2020.
- Pete Hegseth Designates Confucius Institutes Threatening US National .... https://newscord.org/article/pete-hegseth-designates-confucius-institutes-threatening-us-national-security--Story_20261024_ca4297c9
- Pentagon designates Confucius Institutes a national .... https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/24/pentagon-designates-confucius-institutes-a-national-security-threat
- Pentagon Identifies Confucius Institutes as National Security Threat .... https://threatcluster.io/cluster/pentagon-identifies-confucius-institutes-as-national-securit-31cabf30
- US Defense Department Labels Confucius Institutes National Security Threat. https://jumpseataerospacenews.com/2026/10/us-defense-department-labels-confucius-institutes-national-security-threat/
- Pentagon labels Confucius Institutes a national security threat. https://www.newsminimalist.com/articles/pentagon-labels-confucius-institutes-a-national-security-threat-324ee12a
- Pentagon Designates Confucius Institutes a National Security Threat. https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/pentagon-designates-confucius-institutes-a-national-security-threat-6108293
- National security push aims to unmask foreign money flowing to American campuses - NaturalNews.com, February 25, 2026.
- US labeling of Confucius Institutes a security threat exposes irony of .... https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202610/1372897.shtml
- China-funded Confucius Institutes deemed US national security threat .... https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2026/10/25/2003866568
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