The collapse of the so-called China spy case in the UK has sparked a storm of headlines. Accusations of “spying for China”, allegations of improper government involvement in the dropping of the case, White House anger – the story ticked every box for front-page drama. Criticism of the government’s handling of the case was amplified by opposition politicians and commentators who never miss an opportunity to cast suspicion on closer ties with Beijing.
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This is not the first time people have been accused of spying for China, nor will it be the last. Britain has developed an almost obsessive fascination with the possibility of Chinese espionage. Not long ago, Prince Andrew was in the spotlight for his links to an alleged Chinese spy.
Needless to say, those of Chinese heritage are viewed with even deeper suspicion. Having spent 13 years in the British higher education sector and being a Chinese national, I am all too familiar with these narratives.
Chinese businesspeople are spies. Chinese scientists and professors are spies. Chinese student and scholar associations are spies. Confucius Institutes harbour spies. Even ordinary Chinese students are not spared. To some, China’s political system is so pervasive that all Chinese nationals and organisations must, by default, be seen as extensions of the Chinese state – and therefore inherently suspect.
I encountered these suspicions first-hand during my six years as director of a UK-based Confucius Institute. If one follows the logic of Britain’s spy hysteria, I should count as a “former director of a Chinese spy agency”. The only thing missing, I suppose, is the training – how to be a spy, how to run a spy agency, how to operate one. If I’d ever had that experience, perhaps I could have written Memoirs of a Spy Chief instead of Memoirs of a Confucius Institute Director, which was published in August.
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When I first went to Britain to study at the University of Warwick more than a decade ago, I was drawn to its culture and global soft power. I grew up watching British films, especially the James Bond series. Many Chinese people’s image of espionage is shaped by 007 and his iconic introduction, “Bond, James Bond”. He is sophisticated, drives luxury cars, uses hi-tech gadgets and is often surrounded by glamorous companions.