China opposes the smearing and stigmatization of Confucius Institutes, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday, after the United States designated the cultural centers as a national security threat.

Guo made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked about the designation, announced on Friday by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. 

China-US educational exchanges and cooperation help enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples, Guo said, adding that such cooperation is two-way and mutually beneficial and should not be disrupted or undermined.