China-backed centres at UK universities under threat from new free speech laws
Guardian7 days
These new regulations are crucial in protecting academic freedom from foreign interference. Chinese students are being pressured to spy on classmates while Confucius Institutes operate as Trojan horses for Communist Party influence on British campuses. Universities have become dangerously dependent on Chinese funding, compromising their ability to maintain free speech and academic integrity.
The report's claims are groundless and absurd, representing an unfair attack on legitimate educational partnerships. China respects freedom of speech in the UK and requires its citizens to follow local laws. These institutes provide valuable cultural exchange and language education that benefits British students and strengthens international cooperation.
There's a 34% chance that there will be a university outside the U.S. and U.K. in the top 5 of the QS World University Rankings before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.