THE Chinese government has been accused of exploiting scholarship programmes at Scots universities to curb criticism of the regime.
A report presented at Holyrood flagged security fears surrounding Sino-backed funding in the country’s higher education system.
Its author, Robert Clark, said that payouts from the state-sponsored China Scholarship Council were “an absolutely intrinsic part of Communist Party propaganda and statecraft”, as reported by The Times.
The senior fellow at the think tank Civitas also said that those who are supported through the programmes tended to be specialists in science and technology, and are offered opportunities to take part in advanced research before returning to China straight after their studies.
The controversial Confucius Institutes, which aim to promote Chinese culture and language, have previously raised concerns due to their close connections with the far east state.
Academics and campaigners have also reported instances of intimidation and coercive behaviour towards staff and other students on campuses.
During a Scottish Parliament meeting to discuss the report, a University of Edinburgh scholar told how she had been “threatened” over her teaching.
Sarah Liu, a senior lecturer in gender and politics, teaches a Chinese politics course.
She said: “Students have filed complaints against me. They have threatened to report me to the Chinese embassy.
“The threat is real. As an educator, I put myself on the line.
“I could choose to monitor or censor my materials. But I choose not to.”
The event’s organiser was Alyssa Fong of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation.
She claimed that she had been targeted by people with ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) while studying and working at the University of Edinburgh.
Ms Fong said she thought Scotland was a “safe haven” after fleeing Hong Kong, where freedom of speech and democracy has been quashed.
In the region, authorities introduced new laws that allowed extradition to the Chinese mainland and then to clamp down on protests that followed the controversial changes.
Ms Fong, who studied neuroscience, said she was “questioned on my political ideology, where my family lived, what my involvement was in the pro-democracy protest, as well as how I feel about the current government in China”.
She helped organise rallies where she felt “like the CCP was watching me abroad”.
Ms Fong said she was also once quizzed about an event by the director of the University of Edinburgh’s Confucius Institute.
She added that students who were part of the China Scholarship Council scheme were set “to benefit from the high class education that Scotland has”.
But she claimed that they regularly have to check in with CCP handlers, usually at the local consulate.
Ms Fong said: “They’re there to surveil dissenting voices such as Hongkongers, Chinese people, as well as spread their own propaganda in places like the Confucius Institute.”
Mr Clark said that student fees for PhDs in scientific and technological fields at the University of Edinburgh were £40,000 a year and that St Andrews had 40 China scholarship council awards each year, meaning that China was shelling out £1.6million for such courses.
Last year, he wrote a report that found that Chinese companies had given more than £15m to Scottish institutes.
Mr Clark believes significant pressure is placed on some Chinese students.
He said that there had been instances “where Chinese students on these scholarship councils weren’t reporting, and they were sent immediately back to China for some sort of punishment by the regime”.
Jeremy Balfour, the Scottish Conservative MSP who organised the Holyrood event, said: “The idea that a foreign power could be interfering in the lives of those living in Scotland is totally unacceptable. These claims are incredibly concerning and warrant thorough investigation.”
A spokesperson for Universities Scotland, which represents higher education institutes, said international students bring “significant rewards to both our universities and Scotland, but… can also increase risk to institutions”.
They added: “Students from China form a large part of our international student population.
“Universities engage in all their international activities with open eyes and due diligence, ensuring that actions are consistent with academic freedom and institutional autonomy.”
The Chinese Consulate in Edinburgh has been contacted for comment.