China Rejects US Labeling of Confucius Institutes as Security Threats

What changed

China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the United States’ designation of Confucius Institutes as national-security threats on Oct. 26, calling the move “smearing and stigmatisation.”

The Pentagon says it dismantled 80 related organisations operating under different names and charters at 30 US universities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth alleged they were disguised operations aimed at stealing intellectual property and influencing American students.

Why it matters

The dispute turns university cultural programmes into a direct US-China security confrontation. Beijing describes educational exchange as mutually beneficial. Washington now treats the organisations as part of a threat to national security.

That change raises the stakes for US universities connected to Confucius Institutes, even though the future of individual programmes remains unclear. The Pentagon’s allegations, the number of organisations and the claim that dismantling is complete have not been independently verified.