Pentagon dismantles 80 Chinese propaganda cells at United States universities

The United States Pentagon has dismantled 80 Chinese propaganda cells at colleges and universities across the country during the past two months, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Friday. The Washington Examiner reported that Hegseth made the announcement in a video posted to the social media platform X. [1]

According to the Washington Examiner, Hegseth spoke about Confucius Institutes operating at American higher education institutions. He stated that although Congress previously took action to restrict the Chinese backed organizations, similar groups continued to emerge under new names. [1]

Chinese overseas intelligence operations involve espionage and influence activity directed through agencies such as the Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Public Security, and the United Front Work Department. These operations target overseas Chinese communities and associations through cyber espionage, human intelligence, and various front organizations. [3]