The US Department of Defense has formally classified Confucius Institutes, Chinese-funded cultural centers in US college campuses, as a national security threat. Defense Secretary Eric Bergsgren noted that Confucius Institutes have been covertly replacing their names to infiltrate university campuses. In a two-month campaign, the Pentagon has moved to dismantle these institutions. China has criticized the US move, describing it as a demonization and stigmatization of a normal cooperative project, and stating that the accusations are baseless. China argues that the politicization of Confucius Institutes demonstrates a Cold War mindset and a lack of confidence. Bergsgren announced on social media that the Pentagon has categorized Confucius Institutes as a threat to US national security. He alleged that these institutes are masquerading as cultural centers to infiltrate US universities, aiming to steal intellectual property and influence American students' thoughts. Over 80 new organizations have emerged with different names and charters, but their ultimate mission is consistent: to engage in espionage and ideological infiltration. The Pentagon claims to have dismantled each of these organizations systematically in the past two months. In March 2019, a report by the US Senate Permanent Investigating Committee revealed that China had invested over $158 million to establish Confucius Institutes in US universities, which have become "strictly-controlled propaganda weapons" and thus should undergo reform or be shut down. In August 2020, the US government required China's Confucius Institutes in the US to register as diplomatic missions.
The US government has long accused Confucius Institutes of being Chinese propaganda tools, leading to stepped-up efforts against them. The latest move by the Pentagon signals a more aggressive stance against what it perceives as Chinese influence operations on American soil. These institutes have reportedly used diverse names and structures to evade scrutiny, yet their core mission remains largely unchanged. With the Pentagon now openly identifying Confucius Institutes as a national security threat, tensions between the US and China over academic and cultural exchanges are likely to escalate further. Analysts suggest that this action aligns with a broader US strategy to curtail Chinese influence globally, reflecting a Cold War-style mentality more focused on containment than cooperation.