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The US Department of Defense declared that the Confucius Institutes were a national security threat, and China responded by protesting the defamation campaign and emphasizing that China-US educational exchanges should be mutually beneficial and win-win.
AmericaDepartment of Defense It was recently announced that China-funded Confucius Institutes located on American university campuses will be designated as institutions that pose a threat to US national security. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded today (26th) that China opposes defaming and tarnishing Confucius Institutes.
The paper reported that China’s Foreign Ministry held a regular press conference on the 26th. An AFP reporter asked why the United States had last week identified the Confucius Institute cultural center on an American university campus as a threat to US national security. What is China’s reaction to this?
Guo Jiakun said, “We oppose the slander and stigmatization of Confucius Institutes. China-US educational exchanges and cooperation are conducive to enhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples. They are two-way, mutually beneficial and win-win, and should not be interfered with or curtailed.”
Reuters previously reported that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a video on social media on the 23rd, saying that Confucius Institutes were operating under cover in US universities and that the Pentagon had included them in the list of institutions that threatened US national security.
Jesus alleged that there are 80 organizations operating under different names and charters in 30 universities in the United States, but their mission is the same, which includes stealing intellectual property and infiltrating the minds of American students. He also said that the Defense Department had “systematically destroyed” these organizations over the past two months.
The United States has long accused Confucius Institutes of being propaganda tools for the Chinese government. An investigative report released by the US Senate Permanent Panel on Investigations in 2019 stated that since 2006, the Chinese government has provided more than US$158 million in funding to more than 100 schools in the United States to establish and operate Confucius Institutes. The report also said that China controls the funding, staffing and activities of the Confucius Institute. At the time, Beijing rejected the US accusation as baseless and criticized it as a typical Cold War mentality.
Additionally, the US Congress passed legislation in 2018 to ban the then-Defense Department from providing certain funding to universities with Confucius Institutes; In 2020, the Trump administration classified the Confucius Institute US Center as a “foreign mission” of China.
Summary FAQ
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The US Department of Defense announced that it would identify China-funded Confucius Institutes located on US university campuses as institutions that threaten US national security, and said it had systematically dismantled the organizations concerned.
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China opposes defaming and stigmatizing Confucius Institutes, and stressed that China-US educational exchanges and cooperation can help enhance mutual understanding and have two-way mutual benefits and win-win results.
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The United States has long accused the Confucius Institute of being a propaganda tool for the Chinese government. The 2019 investigative report also said that China provided funding, personnel and activity arrangements; The US Congress and the Trump administration have also adopted restrictive measures.
