Pentagon Designates Confucius Institutes A National Security Threat 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon has designated China-funded Confucius Institutes as a national security threat.

"Secretary Hegseth and the Trump Administration have made the right decision to call Confucius Institutes a national security threat. The designation helps raise awareness about the threats posed by CCP propaganda in all its forms. The CCP wants to influence what Americans learn about China, and that is especially true of our young people,” said Chairman John Moolenaar of the Select Committee on China. “The CCP wants to hide from Americans that it is a cruel authoritarian regime that denies freedom of expression to its citizens and is the biggest oppressor of the Chinese people in the word. Confucius Institutes and their affiliates serve that goal by spreading propaganda to cover up the CCP’s atrocities. We must make sure the truth is taught about the CCP.”

Background

In August, Secretary Hegseth ordered research security audits of 30 U.S. universities, which concluded earlier this month with many universities terminating dangerous collaborations with Chinese entities. Moolenaar leads the Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries (SIRA) Act, which would prohibit federal research funds from supporting collaborations with entities that the U.S. government has determined pose national security or other risks.

Moolenaar also supports several bills that passed the House last year to protect American classrooms from foreign-funded programming. For example, the PROTECT Our Kids Act to stop the flow of CCP funds to K–12 schools, the CLASS Act requiring schools to disclose sources of foreign funding, and the TRACE Act to give parents information about funding sources of their child’s education, and what strings are attached.

Moolenaar also delivered floor remarks to highlight how the CCP uses exchange programs, curriculum funding, and civil organizations to shape what students learn while hiding the truth about the Cultural Revolution, Tiananmen Square, and the ongoing Uyghur genocide.