Question: It is reported that “thousands of Chinese academics and researchers could be blocked from entering Britain amid concerns about the theft of intellectual property”. What is the comment of the Chinese Embassy in the UK?

Embassy Spokesperson: In an era of globalization, the world is increasingly interdependent with deeply integrated interests and becoming a community with a shared future in which countries and people are inseparable. Solidarity and cooperation is the only right choice.

Distorting or smearing bilateral cooperation and closing the door to normal exchanges are tantamount to resurrecting the Cold-War mentality and zero-sum game mindset, and returning to self-alienation and self-isolation from the world.

China-UK education exchanges constitute an integral part of China-UK relations, enhance mutual understanding between the Chinese and British people, boost educational and social progress in both countries and promote exchanges and mutual learning between the Oriental and Western civilisations. Such cooperation is mutually beneficial, open, transparent and beyond reproach.

China attaches great importance to intellectual property protection. Accusing Chinese academics of theft of intellectual property is completely untenable. We firmly oppose groundless suspicion of the educational cooperation between China and the UK, malicious slanders on Chinese academics and demonization of normal academic exchanges. We urge the relevant parties to support and facilitate normal exchanges and cooperation rather than impose barriers and end up serving no one’s interest.