The growing importance of China to UK higher education (and indeed the wider economy) will be accelerated by Brexit, particularly if there is a decline in EU student numbers. Several UK universities now have relationships in China, including campuses run by Liverpool and Nottingham. In 2008-9 one in five new international students came from China, in 2012-13 it was one in three, and around a quarter of postgraduate taught students are Chinese.
The growing success of China’s own universities in global rankings is also a significant competition area for UK universities, and the growing number of Chinese graduates represents a paradigm shift in the global labour market. Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK last year saw the red carpet enthusiastically rolled out by UK universities who were desperate to impress the Chinese premier. Amidst the pomp and ceremony, it was excruciatingly clear that the Chinese felt that they represented the stronger side of a global partnership.