Pentagon designates China-backed campus cultural centers a threat to US national security

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth alleges Confucius Institutes operating in disguise on US university campuses

The US defense department has designated Chinese-funded cultural centers on university campuses known as Confucius Institutes as a threat to US national security, defense secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday.

Washington has long accused Confucius Institutes of being Chinese propaganda tools and has taken steps to crack down on them.