Pentagon designates Confucius Institutes a national security threat

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that the Pentagon added the Chinese-funded cultural centres on university campuses to its list of institutions that threaten U.S. national security.

New groups at universities, per Hegseth

80 cells, 30 universities

Hegseth says 80 new "propaganda cells" at 30 universities reappeared under other names after Congress restricted the institutes. He says the Pentagon has dismantled all of them over the past two months.

Background

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Washington has long accused the centres of serving as Chinese propaganda tools.