Why the United States Considers Confucius Institutes a National Security Threat

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses American campuses to control students who exercise freedom of speech at universities. (Dajiyuan, Getty Images)

[People News] On the 23rd, U.S. Secretary of Defence Peter Hegseth stated that the U.S. Department of Defence regards the "Confucius Institutes" operating within the United States as a threat to national security. In a video shared on social media, he asserted that these institutes function in U.S. universities under a facade of legitimacy. "Eighty new propaganda outposts have appeared across 30 universities, using various names and charters, but their mission remains the same: to steal intellectual property and infiltrate the minds of American students."

The United States has long identified Confucius Institutes as tools for infiltration and propaganda by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Multiple media reports indicate that the CCP takes advantage of the respect for Confucius abroad, using cultural pretences to engage in espionage and train personnel aligned with CCP interests.

Public records reveal that since 2007, the CCP has invested at least $158 million in the United States, with a peak of 118 Confucius Institutes. By the end of 2023, only 5 Confucius Institutes remain, while 49 have been established in U.S. colleges and universities through cooperation and signed agreements, with 26 of these having closed prior to 2021.

Former Standing Committee member Li Changchun inadvertently disclosed the true purpose of overseas Confucius Institutes in 2009, stating that they are a crucial part of the CCP's overseas propaganda apparatus. In reality, the CCP uses these institutes as key venues to promote a communist ideology centered on atheism abroad. So, how are Confucius Institutes disguised within U.S. colleges and universities?

For instance, the Confucius Institute at the University of Maryland hosted a photo exhibition on Qinghai-Tibet in April 2009, which portrayed an embellished view of religious freedom in Tibet. During the opening ceremony, Xie Feng, the Deputy Ambassador of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Washington, delivered a speech asserting, 'The CCP government has always been open to the Dalai Lama; he must engage in deep reflection and fundamentally alter his political views and actions.' 

In December 2010, Jin Kehua, the American director of the Confucius Institute at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, clearly stated at the Fifth Confucius Institute Conference that the Confucius Institute is merely a title and does not primarily focus on disseminating the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. 

According to public information, Confucius (September 28, 551 BC – March 9, 479 BC) is the founder of Chinese Confucianism, advocating governance through virtue and promoting values such as benevolence, filial piety, loyalty, forgiveness, wisdom, and courage, while championing humanism and believing in the inherent goodness of human nature. Confucius is widely respected globally, and the CCP has leveraged this respect to create a worldwide brand associated with him. If during the Cultural Revolution, the CCP criticized Lin Biao and Confucius, denouncing Confucian thought to establish the Maoist regime, then the current use of Confucius's name to perpetrate the CCP's violent and oppressive actions worldwide represents a sinister and complete destruction of the remaining dignity of Confucius.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has established Confucius Institutes not only in the United States but also across various regions including Asia, Europe, America, and Australia. According to Wikipedia, from 2004 to 2020, a total of 543 Confucius Institutes and 1,170 Confucius Classrooms were set up in 162 countries (regions) worldwide. Europe has the highest number, with 43 countries (regions) hosting 189 Confucius Institutes and 346 Confucius Classrooms.

In 2021, the French Senate published a special report that revealed how the CCP utilises Confucius Institutes to influence the French academic community. This comprehensive 243-page report details how the CCP leverages these institutes to impact French universities and academia. It highlights that the CCP employs extensive external propaganda and humanities and social sciences to shape its image and reputation, while simultaneously collecting sensitive scientific data globally to gain strategic, economic, or military advantages. Confucius Institutes are one of the tools through which the CCP exerts this influence. They are established worldwide, ostensibly to promote 'Chinese culture' either independently or in collaboration with universities, but in reality, they function as the CCP's 'propaganda tools,' posing a threat to the academic freedom of partner institutions and potentially harbouring spies.

The report also recommends that French universities and educational institutions maintain heightened vigilance regarding foreign students to safeguard France's scientific achievements and academic freedom.

Years ago, the non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders published a report titled 'The New World Media Order Pursued by China,' which specifically noted that Confucius Institutes have become a significant tool for the CCP's ideological export.

Reporters Without Borders has stated that, "With the support of diplomatic entities and Confucius Institutes, China engages in propaganda through various channels, including politics, economics, culture, and language education. However, they also resort to intimidation or harassment to promote 'ideologically correct' narratives, while attempting to conceal numerous dark aspects within the country." 

The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations previously published a report titled 'The Influence of China on the U.S. Education System,' which highlighted that 'the Chinese government exerts control over nearly every aspect of Confucius Institutes in the United States,' thereby expanding China's influence with little oversight from the U.S. government. The committee is currently pursuing legislation to impose restrictions and is even considering requiring Confucius Institutes to register as representatives of the Chinese government under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has also issued related investigative reports that reached similar conclusions. Furthermore, in recent years, well-known academic organizations such as the National Association of Scholars (NAS) and the American Association of University Professors have released comprehensive investigative reports on Confucius Institutes, urging U.S. universities to shut them down to counteract CCP infiltration. 
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