Liz Truss’ plan to label China a national security threat could cause serious damage to Sino-UK research ties and student flows, academics have warned.
The Times reported last month during the Conservative leadership campaign that Ms Truss, now the UK’s prime minister, planned to reopen the “integrated review” of British diplomacy and defence priorities to change China’s classification from “systemic competitor” to the more serious “threat” – a move that would put it on equal footing with Russia.
If it goes forward, the shift could prompt Beijing to limit numbers of UK-bound Chinese students, who make up the country’s largest overseas cohort, academics warned.
