London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

UK universities see boom in Chinese students

The number of Chinese students coming to the UK has increased by more than 30% in the last five years.

It means China now sends more students than any other country, inside or outside the EU, to the UK.

The 120,000 Chinese students are an important source of income for universities because international students pay fees two to three times higher than UK students.

The government is keen to attract more students to the UK.

But MPs have warned that universities are naive in underestimating the influence of the Chinese government on campus.

The figures are startling. Since 2014-15, the number of Chinese students in the UK has grown from 89,540 to 120,385, compared with 26,685 students from India.

But numbers have not yet peaked.

'A wider view'

The University of Liverpool has been one of the most successful in recruiting from China, which now provides almost one in five of its students.

More than a decade ago it was involved in creating a new university in the city of Suzhou, near Shanghai.

Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University runs degree courses which involve students coming to Liverpool for two years.

By the end of the decade, the joint venture is expected to have grown to almost 30,000 students.


Some also choose Liverpool directly - including Renwei Deng, whose love of The Beatles prompted him to choose it for his degree in accounting and finance.

Now in his final year, he calls himself Kevin and is part of an all-Chinese band, Mandarin Crisis, that plays in local venues.

He says: "I wanted to see a different culture, to truly see what I'd seen on TV about different countries. And I wanted to experience different values.

"It makes me think more objectively especially about global matters, I won't see them through only a Chinese perspective, I'll have a wider view."

But, like all the mainland Chinese students I meet, Kevin politely but firmly declines to be drawn into commenting on anything that might be controversial - including the recent protests in Hong Kong by pro-democracy campaigners.

Censorship concerns

Chinese families often pay for students' British undergraduate courses.

But dozens of postgraduate scholarships are being funded by the Chinese government.

MPs have expressed concerns that universities are not thinking through the implications of relying on significant amounts of Chinese money.

The Foreign Affairs Select Committee said they were being naive about the potential risks around intellectual espionage or freedom of speech.

Tom Tugendhat, the former committee chairman, says when a university does a deal to set up a campus abroad or recruit lots of students, it's not just about bringing in money to the UK.

He wants universities to engage more with the Foreign Office to get advice. "In some countries censorship comes with the cash, and in others control comes with the students.

"Those students will not just be bringing open minds ready to learn, but also the apparatus of state control either through direct influence or through pressure exerted on their families that really is completely foreign to British universities."

Mr Tugendhat thinks UK universities should follow the example of some in the US and Australia, which have asked the Confucius Institute - which promotes Chinese language and culture - to move off campus.

The recent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have brought issues around freedom of speech to the fore on some campuses.

Speaking anonymously, students at universities in other parts of the UK, said that was something they had experienced directly.

One said: "If I get identified by the Chinese embassy or government, I might put the safety of relatives living in China under threat."

There have also been reports of intimidation after posters were put up on campus supporting democracy in Hong Kong.

A student said: "I've had death threats on mainland people's group chats saying they'll kill me over things I've put up, saying they'll bring knives to kill me. They've also harassed me by putting up photos of where I stay."

And another said: "They are doing things that are not really acceptable, but everyone seems to be accepting them for what they are, for the short-term benefits."

While they feel able to complain, they fear the financial contribution from Chinese students could make universities reluctant to be firm.

'Too big to ignore'

So would a university such as Liverpool welcome a pro-democracy campaigner to speak at an event on campus?

Prof Gavin Brown, pro-vice-chancellor at the university said they would want to be sensitive to relationships with any partner, but ultimately were part of the academic tradition of free speech in the UK.

"They are welcome. We think it's far better for a university to provide a place where views can be expressed but also challenged and debated."

So does he think they are in danger of being influenced overtly or subtly by the amount of money flowing into the university from China?

"China is now the second largest research and development economy in the world. They have a quarter of all research and development scientists in the world.

"We cannot afford the contributions that Chinese research can make."

In essence, China is too big to ignore, and has so much money and research capacity that universities around the world will continue to engage with it.




Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×