China is the UK higher education sector’s most important strategic relationship. It is the future of its research partnerships, the exporter of thousands of students, and also the UK’s single biggest concern when it comes to research security.
It’s also important to remember that at the heart of the debate over security lies the hope and aspirations of millions of Chinese nationals as well as the future of the UK’s place in the world. It is difficult, if not impossible, to disentangle a debate about changing global powers from the millions of people whose lives these debates materially impact.
