Similarly, the tense political situation in China prevented Xia from conducting Egyptological research. Especially during the Cultural Revolution in 1966, Xia's participation in any foreign-related studies could get him into trouble.
The outbreak of the Second World War also briefly halted his research as the University College London was closed and he had to return to China. Fortunately, his submission of his thesis in 1943 earned him a doctorate degree in Egyptian archeology in 1946 without the need of defending.