Chinese students at UK universities being 'pressured to spy on classmates', think tank report warns
The UK-China Transparency (UKCT) think tank suggested the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is monitoring discussions on British campuses via students.
It is thought the move is intended to suppress discourse on issues which are sensitive to the Chinese government.
UKCT researchers questioned 50 academics working in the Chinese studies field and found many were concerned about the influence of Beijing.
One lecturer said their Chinese students had 'confided' that they had been asked to spy on campus events by Chinese police.
Another scholar said they were told by Chinese students that 'surveillance is omnipresent' and that they are 'interviewed by officials' when they return to China.
The report also claimed Chinese government officials had warned lecturers to avoid discussing certain topics in their classes.
It comes days after a new law came into force placing more responsibility on universities to uphold academic freedom and free speech.
However, UKCT said some universities are reluctant to address the issue of Chinese interference because of their financial reliance on Chinese student fees.
The report alleged that some Chinese academics involved in sensitive research had been denied visas by the Chinese government.
Meanwhile others said family members back in China had been harassed or threatened because of their work in the UK.
These sensitive topics included the alleged ethnic cleansing in China's Xinjiang region, the outbreak of Covid or the rise of Chinese technology companies, according to the report.
Some academics reported intimidation by visiting scholars or other Chinese officials, as well as by staff at Confucius Institutes.
These are partnership organisations operating at several UK universities, working with institutions in China.
They promote Chinese culture and language on UK campuses, but have been criticised over alleged ties to the CCP.
A Chinese Embassy spokesman said the country had always adhered to its policy of not interfering with other countries' internal affairs.
They told the BBC the report was 'groundless and absurd', adding that China respects freedom of speech in the UK and elsewhere.
A spokesman for Universities UK, which represents 141 institutions, said: 'Anyone working or studying at our universities should know that their rights to personal and academic freedom are protected when they are on British soil.'
Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said any attempt by a foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK 'will not be tolerated'.
She said academic freedom was 'non-negotiable in our world-leading institutions', adding that the implementation of the new legislation made that 'explicitly clear'.
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