China Slams US ‘Vilification’ Over Confucius Institute Threat Label
(MENAFN) China on Monday hit back at Washington’s decision to classify the Confucius Institute Cultural Centers as a danger to US national security, denouncing the move as “vilification.”
“We reject vilification and smears against Confucius Institute,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
Guo argued that academic ties between the two countries serve both sides. “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 made the designation last week, applying it to Confucius Institutes 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 were operating under disguise at US universities and said the Pentagon had added them to its list of institutions that threaten 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.
Named for the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, the institutes are Chinese public programs that promote education and culture abroad.
“We reject vilification and smears against Confucius Institute,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
Guo argued that academic ties between the two countries serve both sides. “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 made the designation last week, applying it to Confucius Institutes 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 were operating under disguise at US universities and said the Pentagon had added them to its list of institutions that threaten 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.
Named for the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, the institutes are Chinese public programs that promote education and culture abroad.
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