Pentagon Identifies Confucius Institutes as National Security Threat

Source reports published 23 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 24 Oct 2026, 1:38 pm AEST

The Pentagon has designated Confucius Institutes, Chinese-funded cultural centers on university campuses, as a threat to US national security. The Department of Defense reports dismantling 80 organizations operating under new names across 30 universities.

What happened

• According to Pentagon spokesperson Pete Hegseth, the US Department of Defense has classified Confucius Institutes as a threat to national security.
• Hegseth stated that 80 new ‘propaganda cells’ had emerged across 30 universities, operating under different names and charters but with the same objective: to steal intellectual property and infiltrate the minds of American students.
• The Pentagon has systematically dismantled these organizations over the past two months, following long-standing accusations that Confucius Institutes serve as Chinese propaganda tools.
• Hegseth alleged that these institutes operated in disguise despite congressional restrictions, reappearing in new guises.
• The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

Original reporting

• Guardian: Pentagon designates China-backed campus cultural centers a threat to US national security
  2026-10-23T00:00:00+00:00
• Al Jazeera: Pentagon designates Confucius Institutes a national security threat
  2026-10-24T03:38:20+00:00