China Rejects US Security Label for Confucius Institutes

China rejected the U.S. designation of Confucius Institutes as national security threats, calling the accusations smears and arguing that educational exchanges foster mutual understanding. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the institutes operate under the guise of universities and alleged that affiliated centers seek to steal intellectual property and influence American students. A Chinese military-affiliated account challenged the designation, asking how teaching Mandarin and Chinese culture could threaten the United States when Chinese people widely engage with American culture. U.S. Government Accountability Office figures cited in one report show the number of Confucius Institutes at American colleges has fallen from about 100 in 2019 to fewer than five, with schools pointing to funding concerns and government pressure among the reasons for closing them.