A new study released by a UK-based charitable organization on Monday revealed the pressures and threats faced by academics and students engaged in Chinese-related studies at British universities.

The study, titled “Cold Crisis: Academic freedom and interference in China studies in the UK,” was conducted by group UK-China Transparency, based on an anonymous survey of 50 academics and scholars in the field.

The study warned of undue influence imposed on UK academic institutions by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Survey takers claimed that they are often subjects of Chinese surveillance, that their families in China are threatened as retribution for unfavorable research or commentary on the CCP, and that many experience direct harassment by CCP officials.

The report noted that these patterns of interference and intimidation were not uniform across UK universities and severity depended in large part on universities’ funding models and reliance on revenue from Chinese students.

Survey respondents additionally revealed that the prospect of the CCP denying visas served as a primary motivator to speak favorably of the regime. Sixty-four percent of survey takers believed UK universities’ financial reliance on Chinese tuition influences administrative attitudes towards China. Forty percent of respondents claimed that they knew Chinese students or staff who had received warnings or felt threatened by the CCP in relation to their campus activities.

More positively, nearly half of respondents also claimed that their institution provided adequate opportunities and support for open engagement with sensitive topics.

China has long been accused of foreign interference. Within the last few years, multiple countries havecracked down on underground, “China-run police stations.” These units essentially serve as arms of the CCP stationed in foreign countries to suppress anti-party activity and have been found operating in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Japan, the US, and other countries.

In 2022, the International Journal of Human Rights published a model code of conduct for UK higher education that aimed to address issues arising from the continued effects of globalization on the nation’s academic institutions.