WASHINGTON, October 24, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — The US Defense Department has designated Chinese-funded Confucius Institutes at American universities as a national security threat, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday, accusing the centers of serving as channels for Chinese propaganda, intellectual property theft and influence over students.
In a video posted on social media, Hegseth said the Pentagon had added the organizations to its list of institutions considered threats to US national security. He alleged that Chinese-linked centers had continued operating on campuses under different names and legal structures.
“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.
He added that the Defense Department had “systematically dismantled every single one of these organizations” over the past two months. The statement did not identify the universities involved or provide details of the measures used to close the organizations.
Confucius Institutes are Chinese-funded cultural and language centers that have operated at universities around the world. Washington has long accused them of advancing Beijing’s propaganda and influence efforts, and has taken steps to restrict their presence in the United States.
The latest designation marks a further step in the Pentagon’s effort to treat the institutes as a national security concern. Hegseth’s remarks, however, did not provide evidence publicly supporting the specific allegations of intellectual property theft or efforts to influence American students.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The announcement comes amid continuing US scrutiny of Chinese activities in American academic institutions. The designation and Hegseth’s claims could add to pressure on universities to review their partnerships with Chinese-funded cultural organizations, although the Pentagon statement did not outline any new requirements for universities or specify what consequences follow from the designation.