Pentagon dismantles 80 Confucius Institute sites in US universities

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon has dismantled approximately 80 Confucius Institute sites across 30 American universities over the past two months. Hegseth characterized these Chinese-funded programs as national security threats, alleging they operated under various names and charters to facilitate intellectual property theft and campus infiltration.

In a parallel move to tighten defenses against China, the U.S. Treasury Department has proposed expanding investment restrictions. Beyond existing controls on semiconductors and quantum technology, the new proposal seeks to include biotechnology, high-performance computing, and hypersonic systems to prevent U.S. capital and expertise from aiding China's dual-use strategic capabilities.

China's Ministry of Commerce has expressed strong opposition to these measures, accusing the United States of generalizing national security concepts to interfere with bilateral economic cooperation and warning that countermeasures may be taken.