Scholars or informers? CCP forcing UK-based Chinese students to spy for Beijing in universities: Report

Chinese students in the UK are being pressured by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to act as Beijing's "informers" on their campuses, according to a new report.

The investigation, conducted by the UK-China Transparency (UKCT) think-tank and reported by Breitbart London, surveyed academics in Chinese studies programmes across Britain. It alleged CCP officials instruct students to gather intelligence on classmates, academic debates, and campus events. One scholar told UKCT students openly admit “surveillance is omnipresent,” and many are interrogated by Chinese authorities upon returning home.

According to the report, these tactics are intended to silence discussion on issues Beijing deems “embarrassing” — from alleged human rights abuses in Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang to criticism of its handling of the Covid-19 outbreak.

UKCT singled out the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations (CSSAs) as an “extension” of the CCP. One British academic described them as “the primary source of student spies on campus,” citing “constant connections with local consulates.”

The report also claimed Chinese diplomats and CCP-linked operatives have influenced China-related academic programmes in the UK, in some cases pressuring universities to shut down entire research projects. One academic said politically sensitive work was blocked by management to protect funding from Chinese tuition fees, often underwritten by CCP scholarships.

“This is systemic distortion, shaping careers and disincentivising research that might be negatively received by the CCP,” it warned.

UKCT further alleged some British universities collaborated with Chinese researchers on weapons-related technology, triggering MI6 investigations into hundreds of UK academics.

Such influence could have "far-reaching effects" on the China-related advice given to the UK government, media, and businesses, it warned.