MPs call for Government action in face of mounting evidence of interference

• Read the report summary
• Read the conclusions and recommendations
• Read the full report: A cautious embrace: defending democracy in an age of autocracies

The Report, 'A cautious embrace: defending democracy in an age of autocracies' says the battle for university students or trade deals should not outweigh the international standards which have brought freedom and prosperity to the UK and the wider world. The Report is also critical of the Government's failure to use key sanction tools such as ‘Magnitsky Powers' to curb interference.

Universities are not alive to the growing risks of autocracies' influence on academic freedom in the UK, say MPs. While autocracies seek to shape the research agenda or curricula of UK universities, or limit activities on university campuses, not enough is being done to protect academic freedom from financial, political and diplomatic pressure.

Government's advice to academia on the potential threats from autocracies is 'non-existent'. FCO evidence to the inquiry failed to demonstrate the Department had considered the threat from autocracies to academic freedom, nor engaged sufficiently with other Whitehall departments or counterparts in the US, Australia or elsewhere. A 2019 International Education Strategy White Paper mentions China more than 20 times in the context of boosting education expertise to the Chinese market, but with no mention of security or interference.

The Committee calls on the FCO and universities to address this challenge together by examining the evidence; coordinating efforts with like-minded countries and appointing a Whitehall champion to oversee Government efforts.

Government has been too slow to use key foreign policy tools at its disposal to curb interference by autocracies. The powers granted under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act have not been used and it must establish the power and processes to block company listings in the UK on national security grounds. The Committee urges the FCO to set out why it has not used Magnitsky-style sanctions in response to ongoing repression by state authorities in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. The Committee repeats its call for cross Whitehall coordination with the appointment of a single, accountable, Senior Responsible Owner.

Chair's comments

Chair of the Committee, Tom Tugendhat MP, said:

"The freedom and prosperity of democratic states is rooted in the international rules-based system. We must stand together with partners as our shared history is woven together. We must protect each other and ourselves in the face of autocratic states who are concentrated on undermining and interfering with hard-won liberties. 
 
Our Report finds the UK Government and the Foreign Office wanting in three policy areas: autocracies' influence on academic freedom; the use of sanctions against autocratic states and their supporters, and the UK's cooperation with other democracies in responding to autocracies. 
 
Across Whitehall, the FCO must step up to lead work to develop a co-ordinated response. Foreign influence is a matter for the Foreign Office, but we could find little evidence that the department is driving this.
 
There is a better balance to be found. The Committee is not blind to the incentives for more students or stronger business links – but this should be weighed with full awareness of the serious risks involved."

Further information

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