WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2020) The Trump administration is designating the Chinese government-funded Confucius Institute as a foreign mission, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in a statement on Thursday.
"Today, the Department of State designated the Confucius Institute US Center as a foreign mission of the PRC [People's Republic of China]," Pompeo said. "Confucius Institutes are funded by the PRC and part of the Chinese Communist Party's global influence and propaganda apparatus."
The designation now requires the institutes to provide administrative data on all personnel and property in the United States, essentially equating them to foreign embassies or consulates.
Pompeo said the institutes advance Beijing's influence on US campuses and K-12 classrooms.
China's foreign ministry has said the Confucius Institute aims to promote cooperation between China and other countries in the spheres of education and culture.
