Chinese Companies Are Buying Up Closed Colleges
ForbesSEP 2018
Chinese Firms Acquire 30+ UK Schools Over Past Decade
Above: An exterior view of Dulwich College in south London, England on Oct. 22, 2024. Image copyright: Richard Baker/In Pictures/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This wave of acquisitions reflects a calculated strategy by the Chinese Communist Party to extend influence into Britain’s education system. With schools owned by state-linked investors that have ties to senior CCP figures, the goal is clear — to shape the next generation of British elites and embed Beijing’s ideology within the country’s most prestigious institutions. Britain's children are the target, and the threat is immediate.
Pro-China narrative
Chinese investment provides vital support to struggling U.K. independent schools, preserving jobs and access to quality education. Far from ideological subversion, it fosters cultural exchange and global perspectives, introducing students to the Chinese language, traditions, and values. Unlike America’s cynical approach, continued positive engagement with China offers mutually beneficial educational and economic opportunities for Britain.