Key facts
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the designation on Friday.
- Schools cited potential loss of federal funding and external pressures for closing institutes.
- Most schools implemented practices to address concerns with foreign partnerships.
The US Defense Department has designated China's Confucius Institutes as a threat to US national security, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the number of Confucius Institutes at US universities has significantly decreased since 2019, with fewer than five remaining. Schools most commonly cited the potential loss of federal funding and external pressures as reasons for closing their institutes. Many schools also implemented practices to address concerns related to foreign partnerships, such as ensuring foreign national staff had no decision-making authority on campus.