CHINESE SPIES on campus? After shocking report, authorities in this country seek probe into Confucius Institute

A shocking report has claimed that Chinese students in British universities are being pressured by Beijing authorities to spy on fellow students. The bombshell claims were made by UK-China Transparency (UKCT), rocking British academia. This is bringing up the question: Will UK universities speak out to save academic freedom, or stay silent to keep the cash flowing from China?

What did the UKCT report say on Chinese students spying on classmates?

The report claimed that Chinese students at British universities were told to snoop on classmates as well as muzzle discussion on topics sensitive to Beijing. Students were told to report peers who speak out against the Chinese government, it alleged.

Lecturers were reportedly warned to steer clear of certain topics or face repercussions.

UKCT said Chinese students are feeling the pressure, with some claiming they were 'asked by officials to spy'. Other students are entirely avoiding discussions on subjects that are sensitive to China.

Shocking claims made in report on other Chinese interventions in academics

The UKCT report also claimed that visas of some Chinese scholars were denied. Others claimed that their family members back in China were “harassed or threatened” due to their UK-based research. “There’s a climate of fear, and it’s real,” a BBC report on the issue quoted a scholar as saying.

Topics too sensitive for China: Covid, Xinjiang and more

According to the report, the Chinese are sensitive to scholarly work in the UK on topics like the origin of the Covid pandemic - one theory is that the virus emerged from a Wuhan lab - as well as suppression of Muslim communities in Xinjiang. Criticism of Chinese tech giants is also another topic of concern for Beijing.

Confucius Institutes come under the scanner in UK

The Confucius Institutes, which are cultural centres of China in campuses across countries, is under scrutiny in UK. These institutes are alleged to have links to the Chinese Communist Party.

Office for Students (OfS), the higher education regulator of UK, has been seeking investigations into the Confucius Institutes, which are ostensibly language-learning centres.

OfS CEO Susan Lapworth said “expects Confucius Institutes to be looked into” under new laws protecting academic freedom in the UK, according to a BBC report.

Universities should amend or terminate agreements that threaten free speech, even if it means losing lucrative international deals, the OfS said.

UK government backs academic freedom as fines loom under new law

Under new legislation in effect in the UK since last week, universities face fines if they violate freedom of speech, including in cases where they have funding agreements with other countries. These fines could be in the millions.

In March this year, the University of Sussex was fined 585,000 pounds by OfS for failing to uphold freedom of speech on the issue of transgender rights.
As tensions mount, the UK government is backing universities to take a stand.
“Academic freedom is non-negotiable… those who fail to protect it will face the consequences,” warned the UK Skills Minister Jacqui Smith, adding, “Any attempt by a foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated.”

Chinese embassy fires back against allegations of student spying

In response to the furore over the UKCT report, the Chinese embassy in UK dismissed the allegations as 'groundless and absurd'.
“China respects freedom of speech in the UK and elsewhere,” it insisted.