China Slams US Confucius Institute Threat Label as ‘Vilification’
“We reject vilification and smears against Confucius Institute,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
“Educational exchange and cooperation between China and the US help enhance mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries. They are desired by both sides and benefit both sides and should not be held back or disrupted,” he added.
The US State Department issued the designation last week, targeting Confucius Institute programs at American universities and campuses.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth escalated the charge in a video posted on social media. He alleged that the institutes had been operating in disguise at US universities and said the Pentagon had added them to its list of institutions that threaten the country’s national security.
“It turns out that 80 new propaganda cells across 30 universities had popped up using different names and different charters, but with the same mission: to steal intellectual property and to infiltrate the minds of American students,” Hegseth said.
The institutes, named for the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, serve as China’s public programs for education and cultural promotion.
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