The United States on Thursday designated the Confucius Institute US Center (CIUS) as a foreign mission calling it an “entity advancing Beijing’s global propaganda and malign influence campaign” on American campuses and schools.

“The goal of these actions is simple: to ensure that American educators and school administrators can make informed choices about whether these CCP-backed programs should be allowed to continue, and if so, in what fashion,” secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a statement.

As a “foreign mission” CIUS will be subject to the same administrative rules and restrictions that apply to the Chinese diplomatic missions on a reciprocal basis.

The Trump administration shut down the Chinese mission in Houston recently alleging it has become a den of spies.

The United States has also designated Chinese media outlets operating here as ‘“foreign missions”, subjecting to the same treatment as diplomats.