Pompeo: ‘Hopeful’ All Confucius Institutes Will Be Closed by Year’s End

On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that he is “hopeful” that every single one of China’s Confucius Institutes operating in the United States will be shut down by the end of the year. He also stated that he believes universities have now come to understand the threat that arises from these institutions.

Host Lou Dobbs asked, “At last count, there were 75 of the so-called Confucius Institutes in K-12 — American colleges and university campuses. How many will there be by the end of this year?”

Pompeo responded, “I hope the answer’s zero, Lou. We’ve made clear that these are foreign missions. The State Department’s designated them as such. That’s important. Because now, they come under a set of restrictions and rules. I think most universities, and frankly, we’ve had these Confucius Institutes in places other than American colleges. I think that everyone’s coming to see the risk associated with them and the recruitment of spies and collaborators inside of those institutions. I think these institutions can see that. And I’m hopeful we will get them all closed out before the end of this year.”

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