Asked about Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s Oct. 23 announcement that 80 Confucius Institute cultural centers at 30 U.S. universities had been “systematically dismantled” as a national security threat, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said today, “We reject vilification and smears against Confucius Institute. Educational exchange and cooperation between China and the U.S. help enhance mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries. They are desired by both sides and benefit both sides and should not be held back or disrupted.”