London [UK], August 6 : A recent report published by UK-China Transparency (UKCT), which investigates transparency matters between the UK and China, has revealed systematic efforts by Beijing to inhibit academic freedom and influence the narrative concerning China within British universities, according to a report from Phayul.
The publication, titled "Cold Crises: Academic Freedom and Interference in China Studies in the UK", claims that the Chinese government is employing students, scholars, and financial leverage to intimidate academics and limit discussions on sensitive subjects, thereby creating a culture of fear across UK campuses.
Drawing on feedback from 50 scholars specialising in China studies throughout UK institutions, the findings depict a troubling scenario of surveillance, harassment, and self-censorship in academia. UKCT reports that Chinese students and academics are sometimes pressured through threats against family members back home to monitor their peers and report on politically sensitive conversations to Chinese authorities.
"We're observing you," one academic recounted being told by a visiting scholar from China, while others shared experiences of online harassment and intimidation, including notifications from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, as mentioned in the Phayul report.
The report suggests that Chinese Students and Scholars Associations (CSSAs), present in most UK universities and connected to the CCP, act as "vectors for surveillance and repression", fostering a climate of fear, especially for students of Chinese descent.
Beyond direct intimidation, the CCP is alleged to exploit financial dependencies to apply pressure on university administrations. Two-thirds of respondents indicated that the reliance on tuition from Chinese students affected how university leadership managed relations with Beijing. Certain institutions faced accusations of withholding funding for research considered politically sensitive, while others reportedly stifled critical scholarship to maintain financial connections or placate Chinese officials.
Professor Gregory Lee, professor emeritus at the University of St Andrews, described the report as "the most significant" ever released on censorship and coercion in UK-based China studies. "By failing to act on these matters, we in the UK are complicit in the Chinese authorities' attempts to impose their idyllic depiction of China on the minds of students and non-students alike," Lee stated, as reported by Phayul.
The publication of this report follows closely behind the introduction of new UK legislation that mandates universities to actively protect academic freedom and freedom of speech. This law also addresses foreign partnerships, such as those with Confucius Institutes, which may jeopardise ideological neutrality or impose constraints on teaching and research.
The findings in the UKCT report resonate with broader apprehensions reflected in other nations, including Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United States, where previous documentation has indicated Chinese influence within academic institutions using similar tactics involving surveillance, visa control, and pressure on diaspora communities, as noted by Phayul.