China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show

"Things in Beijing have kicked off," an internal email from 18 April 2024 said.

The risk summary detailed that "three officers of the National Security Service" visited Sheffield Hallam's office in China.

A local staff member was "questioned for two hours regarding the HKC research and future publications.

"The tone was threatening and message to cease the research activity was made clear."

At another visit, security officers said the internet issues were because the Uyghur research was available on the university website.

Finally, in September 2024, the document states "a decision by the university not to publish a final phase of the research on forced labour in China was communicated to the National Security Service .. immediately relations improved and the threat to staff wellbeing appears to be removed".

Sheffield Hallam says these internal communications need to be seen in context and do not represent university policy.

Complicating things for Sheffield Hallam had been a report by its Forced Labour Lab published December 2023 into clothing supply chains connected to Xinjiang.

Smart Shirts Ltd, a Hong Kong supplier of garments with customers in the UK, brought a claim for libel, alleging it had been defamed as its name was included.

A preliminary ruling at the High Court in London in December 2024 found that report had been "defamatory".

A full trial in that case is yet to take place at which Sheffield Hallam will be able to put forward its defence to the company's claim, but the university was told by its insurers that "any defamation, libel or slander" claims linked to its entire Social and Economic Research Institute were no longer covered.

Professor Murphy had, meanwhile, built an international profile.

Her work had been cited in the UK parliament, in Canada and in Australia. She had taken a career break in late 2023 to work for the US Department of Homeland Security, helping it with the implementation of their Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act.

In her absence, and amid the pressure from China and the lawsuit, Sheffield Hallam decided her unit would close in early 2025.

"Despite significant offers of continued funding we have decided it is in our best interests to terminate the research," an email of August 2024 said.

It added that by not publishing the final report under the university's auspices it hoped "we can minimise the possibility of any further scrutiny of our operations .. thereby attending to related duty of care issues".

But failing to publish the report was a breach of the terms agreed with the external groups who had agreed to fund the research.

So the university decided to close the unit and not use any outstanding funds.

Sheffield Hallam said it was normal practice for research groups to stand down at the end of an external contract.

Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.