October 26th, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiaqun presided over a regular press conference.
AFP reporter asked, last week the United States listed Confucius Institutes as institutions that “threaten American national security”. What is China's response?
Guo Jiaqun said that we oppose any attempts to discredit or stigmatize Confucius Institutes. Educational exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States help enhance mutual understanding between the two nations. These exchanges are bidirectional and based on mutual benefit and win-win situations, and should not be disrupted or damaged.
On October 23rd local time, U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel claimed that the United States had listed Confucius Institutes on a list of organizations that pose a threat to U.S. national security, and that these organizations have been systematically dismantled over the past two months.
The Confucius Institute is a non-profit educational institution established through cooperation between China and foreign parties. It is dedicated to promoting Chinese language teaching as well as exchanges and cooperation in education and culture between China and foreign countries.
In 2018, the U.S. Congress passed legislation restricting the Department of Defense from providing funding to universities that have Confucius Institutes. In 2020, the U.S. recognized Confucius Institutes as “foreign missions”. A report by the Government Accountability Office in 2023 showed that the number of Confucius Institutes at U.S. universities had decreased to less than five.
