MI5 warns UK research funded by China being sent to spies
MI5 have issued a warning for UK academics to cut ties with China General Technology Research Institute after it was linked to Beijing's intelligence and security services
MI5 have warned that more than 100 academics linked to British institutions have unwittingly assisted China's espionage operations against the UK.
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A front company - known as ‘China General Technology Research Institute’ (CGTRI) - secretly working for China’s intelligence and security services, has been funding British academic research in order to undermine UK national security.
The UK's internal security service warned universities and academics that continuing affiliation with CGTRI could ultimately lead to criminal charges for aiding a foreign state.
MI5 says that the CGTRI has "very strong ties" to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), and has identified the agenda behind their academic funding as aiding research which “directly improves MSS technical capability for espionage”.
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UK academics have contributed to CGTRI-funded projects on topics including AI, cyber-security, covert communications systems and steganography- hiding a secret message or file inside an ordinary message or object.
The security alert acknowledged that many academic institutions and individuals will have engaged with the CGTRI "in good faith", unaware of the link to Chinese state security, because it was intentionally "obfuscated".
However, the public alert raises the prospect that British academics who do not act on it immediately could ultimately fall foul of the law.
The National Security Act, a key piece of legislation passed in 2023 to counter state espionage, created a new offence of assisting a foreign intelligence service where the individual ought to reasonably have known what they were doing so.
Security minister Dan Jarvis said: “This alert exposes attempts by Chinese intelligence to covertly benefit from the expertise and research of our academics, undermining our national security, and that of our allies.
“I have written to all university Vice-Chancellors to ensure they support their staff to end all arrangements with this company, preventing further benefit to the Chinese intelligence services and ensuring compliance with the National Security Act.”
The alert follows a previous MI5 warning in June that Chinese spies were targeting UK Government and military staff on networking websites and job platforms, to try to gain access to classified or sensitive information.
MI5 has now “strongly advised" UK academic institutions to “immediately review any ongoing or planned collaboration with CGTRI”.
An embassy spokesperson said: "The accusations made by the UK intelligence agency against the relevant Chinese entity are imaginary and purely fabricated.
"We firmly oppose such baseless allegations and have lodged solemn representations with the UK side.
"Exchanges and collaboration between UK universities and China have always been conducted on a voluntary basis and in compliance with laws and regulations.
"Such exchanges and collaboration are mutually beneficial.
"We urge the UK intelligence authorities to stop spreading falsehoods and stop undermining educational exchanges and research cooperation between China and the UK."