UK-China Transparency
Charity registration number: 1201902
Review of the year
Over the past year, UK-China Transparency (UKCT) has significantly expanded its operational capacity, doubling paid staff, increasing research output, and broadening its advocacy, education, and outreach activities. In response to this growth, UKCT has formalised quarterly subscriber communications, enhanced its digital presence, launched a Substack, and strengthened cybersecurity infrastructure. The charity has modest operating costs relative to comparable organisations, but will be seeking increased donor support to maintain sustainability and expand its work.
UKCT has restructured its work around five core research programmes: Repression and Surveillance , Strategic Technology , Influence and Engagement , Cyber and Data , and Labour Exploitation . These programmes provide a framework for fundraising, specialisation, and long-term strategic development.
Recent work under the Repression and Surveillance programme includes a major report on academic freedom within UK China Studies, based on survey data from fifty academics. The findings indicate systemic issues of intimidation, selfcensorship, and career risk. The report influenced national debate and coincided with new regulatory guidance recommending the reduction or termination of Confucius Institute and China Scholarship Council arrangements. UKCT’s findings received widespread media coverage and prompted engagement with government bodies and foreign missions.
Under Strategic Technology , UKCT continues investigating the sale of Imagination Technologies and the acquisition of Plessey Semiconductors, while monitoring Chinese involvement in UK defence, semiconductor supply chains, venture capital, and STEM research. Forthcoming work will analyse Chinese student participation in sensitive academic fields and potential weaknesses in UK investment security controls.
The Influence and Engagement programme produced a major report on Chu Ting Tang OBE, exposing extensive United Front connections. This work coincided with the introduction of the UK’s Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, whose effectiveness UKCT continues to scrutinise. Parallel research now focuses on subnational diplomacy, party-to-party relations, and Chinese think tanks.
The Cyber and Data programme maintains the UK’s most comprehensive log of PRC cyber operations and is expanding into investigations of academic cyber collaboration risks. The Exploitation and Crime programme is emerging as a national leader in research on Chinese organised crime and labour exploitation.
UKCT’s Education portfolio is rapidly expanding through commercial partnerships, delivering tailored training to government, defence, academia, and industry on CCP
political warfare and influence methods, including scenario-based exercises.
UKCT’s outreach now spans government, parliament, media, NGOs, and international partners. New relationships have been formed within the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Defence, DBT, FCDO, NCA, and education bodies, while parliamentary engagement now includes 45 MPs and peers, with strongest traction on education and China studies. Cooperation with aligned NGOs and think tanks continues, including joint work on electronic vehicle security. Media outreach has grown to 83 contacts with regular national coverage. Internationally, diplomatic connections now include EU, US, Australia, Poland, Taipei, and Latin America, supporting longer-term collaboration despite funding constraints.
With governance strengthened by new trustees and plans underway for long-term strategy development, UKCT is positioning itself as a leading independent authority on UK-China relations, while appealing for continued financial support to sustain its growing impact.
Governance
The Charity is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation whose only voting members are its charity trustees. Its charitable objects are the following:
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For the public benefit the advancement of education, training and research in the relationships between China and the UK in education, business and culture and in good governance, ethics and transparency in such relationships;
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The promotion of human rights (as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent United Nations conventions and declarations) throughout the world by all or any of the following means:
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Research into human rights issues;
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Raising awareness of human rights issues;
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Promoting public support for human rights;
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Promoting respect for human rights among individuals and corporations.
The charity addresses its purpose by carrying out specific research projects and disseminating appropriate publications. It also organises events and provides informal advice (for example to the press) based on its research. The Trustees and executive staff pay careful attention to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
During the year, the Trustee board was strengthened and broadened by the appointment of three new trustees with a range of expertise. As a result, the Director was able to stand down as a Trustee, in line with charity best practice.
UKCT relies on the advice of a network of academics, technical experts, and community leaders. We very much appreciate the expert input that all our advisors provide.
Trustees
Martin Rowland Village
Chair
Samuel Harry Williams-Dunning Director (stood down as Trustee 2 December 2025) Sir Bernard Walter Silverman Treasurer Bryn Ivor Harris Trustee (from 2 December 2025) Andrew Pirie Stuart Robinson Trustee Andrew John Whiteside Trustee (from 2 September 2025) Haoyu Zhang Trustee (from 2 December 2025)
Financial and risk review
Over £50,000 was raised from individual donations (including Gift Aid) and, in addition, an unrestricted grant of £4,000 was received from the Injustice Foundation. We are extremely grateful for all this support.
The charity now employs a Director (40% full time) and a Deputy Director (70% full time). During the year, there was considerable investment in building a secure IT infrastructure and website, and this is reflected in the office expenses reported
At the end of the year, the Charity’s assets stood at over £46,000. The Trustees have decided to hold £20,000 as reserves, with the remainder committed against current salaries and research projects. The accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis. All funds and donations are unrestricted and there are no assets and investments. All funds are held in the Charity’s bank account. The full receipts and payments accounts are attached.
Because of the conservative approach taken to the charity’s activities, there is no material uncertainty about the charity continuing as a going concern. Apart from the tight fiscal control used to avoid financial risk, care is taken over any risk (reputational or legal) of overstepping the Charity’s research and educational objectives. In particular any publications are carefully reviewed to ensure that all statements are evidence-based, as well as falling within the charity’s objects. Evidence is put into the public domain where possible. Legal advice is also sought where appropriate.
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| MARTIN VILLAGE | BERNARD SILVERMAN |
|---|---|
| Martin Rowland Village, Chair | Bernard Walter Silverman, Treasurer |
| 15 January 2026 | 15 January 2026 |
| Charity Name UK China Transparency 1 |
Charity Name UK China Transparency 1 |
Charity Name UK China Transparency 1 |
Charity Name UK China Transparency 1 |
CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
1-Jan-25 | To | 31-Dec-25 | ||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||
| A1 Receipts Bank interest 76 Donations 49,797 Events and services 1,150 Gift Aid 2,750 Grants 4,000 - - - 57,773 A2 Asset and investment sales: none - Sub total - Total receipts 57,773 A3 Payments Bank charges 60 Employment 32,532 Events - Insurance 722 Legal and Professional advice 1,125 Office expenses (including IT and website) 10,600 Research 225 Travel and Subsistence 4,066 - Sub total 49,329 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Restricted funds |
to the nearest £ Endowment funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ 76 49,797 1,150 2,750 4,000 - - - 57,773 - - 57,773 60 32,532 - 722 1,125 10,600 225 4,066 - 49,329 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| - - - - - - - - - |
76 | 53 | |||
| 49,797 | 37,679 | ||||
| 1,150 | 2,235 | ||||
| 2,750 | 3,792 | ||||
| 4,000 | 5,000 | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| 57,773 | 48,759 | ||||
| - - |
|||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | 57,773 | 48,759 | |||
| Bank charges | 60 | - | - - - - - - - - - - |
60 | 60 |
| Employment | 32,532 | - | 32,532 | 9,827 | |
| Events | - | - | - | 1,488 | |
| Insurance | 722 | - | 722 | 658 | |
| Legal and Professional advice | 1,125 | - | 1,125 | 2,273 | |
| Office expenses (including IT and website) | 10,600 | - | 10,600 | 2,025 | |
| Research | 225 | - | 225 | 958 | |
| Travel and Subsistence | 4,066 | - | 4,066 | 789 | |
| - | - | - | - | ||
| **Sub total ** | 49,329 | - | 49,329 | 18,078 |
A4 Asset and investment purchases: none
| - | - | - | - | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | |||||||
| Sub total - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Total payments 49,329 | - | - | 49,329 | 18,078 | ||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) 8,444 | - | - | 8,444 | 30,681 | ||||||
| A5 | Transfers between funds - |
- | - | - | - | |||||
| A6 | Cash funds last year end 37,749 |
- | - | 37,749 | 7,068 | |||||
| Cash funds this year end 46,193 | - | - | 46,193 | 37,749 |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Current and future projects Reserves Details None Details None Details None Details None Signature Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 26,193 - 20,000 - - - 46,193 - OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - Cost (optional) - Cost (optional) - - - Print Name Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
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| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of UK China Transparency
On accounts for the year 31[st] December 2025 Charity no 1201902 ended (if any)
Set out on pages
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/12/2024.
- Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed: Date: 15/01/2026 Name: Paul O’Brien Relevant professional ICPA qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 34 King James Close Fordham, Ely CB7 5SA
1
October 2018
IER
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
2
October 2018
IER