Pentagon Brands Confucius Institutes a Security Threat – Beijing Cries “Smear”

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What the Pentagon announced

On Friday, October 23, Hegseth said in a video posted on social media that the Pentagon had added Confucius Institutes to its list of institutions that threaten US national security. He claimed the centres had returned to campuses in disguise, using new names and new charters.

According to Hegseth, about 80 such groups had appeared at 30 universities. He said their mission was to steal intellectual property and influence American students. The Pentagon, he added, has taken apart every one of these organisations over the past two months.

The Pentagon has not yet made public which 30 universities are affected, and Hegseth's figures could not be independently checked.

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Beijing hits back

China's Foreign Ministry responded on Monday. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing opposes what he called US "smearing and stigmatisation" of the institutes. He insisted that educational exchanges between the two countries benefit both sides and build mutual understanding.

China's state news agency Xinhua went further. It called the designation an absurd overreach and accused some US politicians of stoking anti-China sentiment for political gain ahead of the November midterm elections.

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Background: What are Confucius Institutes?

Confucius Institutes are Chinese-funded centres that teach Mandarin and Chinese culture, often hosted on university campuses. The first one in the United States opened in 2004. They are tied to the Chinese government, and critics have long warned that they push Beijing's view of history and politics.

The pushback in Washington began during President Donald Trump's first term. In 2018, Congress passed a defense bill that restricted Pentagon funding for universities hosting the institutes. Later legislation tightened the rules.

The effect was dramatic. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO, Congress's watchdog agency), the number of institutes at US colleges fell from about 100 in 2019 to fewer than five by 2023. Most schools cited the threat of losing federal money as the main reason for closing them.

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A debate that is not new

Not everyone agrees on how big the threat really is. During the Biden administration, a senior Pentagon official cautioned Congress in 2022 against letting vague fears drive policy. Some universities have also said their institutes only taught language classes.

Supporters of tougher action point to a different problem: even where institutes closed, Beijing may simply have switched to other channels. That is exactly what Hegseth now alleges. The key evidence, however, such as the list of universities and the legal basis of the designation, has not been published.

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Outlook

The dispute adds to the growing tension between Washington and Beijing over academic influence and technology theft. Expect pressure on universities to grow, along with demands for more transparency about foreign funding. Whether the Pentagon will release names and documents will show how solid its case is.

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Sources

1. Reuters, "China says it opposes US 'stigmatisation' of Confucius Institutes after Pentagon labels them security threat," Oct 26, 2026: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-says-it-opposes-us-stigmatisation-confucius-institutes-after-pentagon-2026-10-26/
2. Reuters, "Pentagon designates Confucius Institutes national security threat," Oct 23, 2026: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/pentagon-designates-confucius-institutes-national-security-threat-2026-10-23/
3. US Government Accountability Office, "China: With Nearly All U.S. Confucius Institutes Closed, Some Schools Sought Alternative Language Support" (GAO-24-105981), Oct 2023: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-105981
4. South China Morning Post, "China's Confucius Institutes are disappearing from US campuses," 2023: https://scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3240149/chinas-confucius-institutes-are-disappearing-us-campuses
5. Fox News, "Most China-tied 'Confucius Institutes' have shut down on US college campuses after funding losses: report," 2023: https://www.foxnews.com/media/most-china-tied-confucius-institutes-shut-down-us-college-campuses-after-funding-losses-report.amp
6. Times Higher Education, "Biden team questions Congress' fear of Confucius Institutes," Apr 13, 2022: https://timeshighereducation.com/node/721300

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