University staff and students in the UK claim to have been subject to surveillance from China. An alarming new report by the UK-China Transparency (UKCT) think tank says academics and pupils of Chinese studies are facing harassment and pressure over the teaching of certain subjects.
One academic involved in sensitive research reported a visiting scholar from China whispered, “we’re watching you”, into their ear and during a separate event was interrogated about their personal history, the report found. It added the individual went on to step down from teaching “because they believed that such occurrences might continue”. The Chinese Embassy blasted the report as “completely groundless and absurd”.
Academics involved in topics politically sensitive to the Chinese Communist Party reported incidents of harassment from colleagues and pressure from university administrators relating to the financial consequences of damaging relations with China, according to The Guardian.
The report says one respondent stated that their Chinese students had confided in him that they had been asked to spy on campus events by Chinese police.
While another scholar said they were told by Chinese students that surveillance is omnipresent and students are interviewed by officials when they return to China.
The report added: “Another stated that they had heard of officials visiting classes, without offering real detail.”
The UKCT’s report is based upon evidence from 50 responses to a survey of academics, consisting of 19 questions.
64% of respondents thought “financial dependencies resulting from a high intake of international students from China have informed university administrators’ sense of the importance of relationships with the Chinese government”, versus 16% who felt this was not the case.
Meanwhile, 22% said a manager or administrator had told them that relations with China were a factor in decision-making. A further 10% said they believed they were, with 52% saying they were not, The Guardian reported.
Of those surveyed, 38% said they believed these concerns made it “more difficult to study or conduct original investigative research on sensitive issues”, however 46% said this was not the case.
One academic shared they had been pressured to remove teaching elements that could offend nationalist Chinese students, the report said.
The university staff member said they had also been asked by funders whether planned research would offend the Chinese government and claimed their recruitment team had received threats from the Beijing government in regards to sensitive research.
A Chinese Embassy spokesperson said: “China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, and respects freedom of speech and academic freedom in the UK and other countries.
“China consistently requires its citizens, including overseas students, to abide by local laws and regulations.
“The relevant parties should remain committed to actions that promote educational and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK, rather than the opposite.”