Pentagon designates China-funded Confucius Institutes as US national security threat
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused China-funded Confucius Institutes of stealing intellectual property and spreading propaganda on American university campuses.
The United States Department of Defense has labeled Chinese-funded cultural centers on university campuses, known as Confucius Institutes, as a threat to American national security, announced Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday. The Pentagon has accused these institutes of operating as Chinese propaganda tools, aiming to steal intellectual property and manipulate American students.
Hegseth made these allegations in a video shared on social media, claiming that Confucius Institutes were covertly present at US universities under various names and charters, all sharing the same mission. According to him, the Department of Defense has systematically eliminated each of these organizations over the past two months.
The Chinese embassy in Washington has not yet commented on the Pentagon's decision.
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