MPs are shaping plans to discuss and examine Chinese government interference in education, as part of a larger inquiry into the UK’s strategy in Beijing.

This comes after great pressure towards ministers to take action, after news last week that Sheffield Hallam University had restricted the work of one of their professors due to pressure from the Chinese government.

Professor Laura Murphy conducted studies on the forced labour of Uyghur muslims in the north-western region of Xinjiang.

Human rights groups have been accusing China of committing crimes against humanity against the ethnic group for decades.

The Council on Foreign Relations claimed that more than a million Muslims have been arbitrarily detained into re-education camps, which is over eight percent of their estimated ethnic population of 12 million in Xinjiang.

The University banned Professor Murphy’s work, and the Chinese government rejected accusations of forced labour indefinitely.

The incident has drawn renewed attention to the relationship between the Chinese government and British universities, with the foreign affairs select committee heading the plans to examine influence.

“From what we have heard so far, Chinese government interference in our universities is a threat. We need to examine the extent of it and universities should have a co-ordinated response to it. ”said Emily Thornberry, Chair of the committee.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, also said: “it is incredibly worrying that Sheffield Hallam appears to have attempted to silence its own professor on behalf of a foreign government.”

“Given the censorship Hallam has seemingly engaged in, it now needs to set out how it will ensure its academics will be supported to research freely and protected from overreach by foreign powers.”

A study, conducted by China Index, that shows that Britain rank top of a table of countries affected by Chinese government influence on academia, climbing from 8th in 2022.

A further study compiled by Yorkshire Universities, found that from 2014 to 2022, China was by far the largest source of international students in Yorkshire, and until 2020, the number of students was five to ten times higher from the next.

Chinese students contribute a significant amount to the economy too, through tuition fees and expenses, estimated to be around £5.4 billion in 2021, with the numbers only increasing every year.

Amid rising concerns over academic freedom and financial vulnerability, it’s important to understand the relationship universities have with China, and whether they retain any control into their own affairs.

360wire talked to Shaun Breslin, Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick.

“If I had to guess it would be that current numbers are unsustainable.” he said, while asked about the shift of dependence and influence in the near future.

“I think universities are going to have to go back to basic starting points and rethink their funding models and assumptions.”

“I have for a long time suggested that assuming the continued growth of incoming Chinese students (or even a static number) was a mistake as capacity increases in China, concern about the west’s view of China increases in China, and the nature of the graduate employment scene changes in China” he added.

I’m really not sure how things will or can pan out but look at the amount of universities now looking to cut jobs and that tells you something.”