MI5 has issued a public alert, warning that more than 100 academics linked to British institutions have unwittingly assisted China's espionage operations against the UK. The internal security service stated that a front company, the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), works for China's intelligence and security services.
The alert warns universities and academics that continuing ties with CGTRI could lead to criminal charges for aiding a foreign state. Security minister Dan Jarvis said MI5's warning reveals attempts by Chinese intelligence agencies to use British academic research to undermine UK national security. He has written to all university vice-chancellors urging them to end relationships with the organisation.
MI5 says the CGTRI, also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT), has "very strong ties" to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS). The service has identified that CGTRI's primary purpose is to fund academic research that directly improves MSS technical capability for espionage. UK academics have contributed to CGTRI-funded projects on topics including AI, cyber-security, covert communications systems, and steganography.
The security alert noted that many academic institutions and individuals may have engaged with CGTRI "in good faith" due to the obfuscated link to Chinese state security. It advises UK academic institutions to immediately review any ongoing or planned collaboration with CGTRI to ensure the MSS derives no further benefit from UK universities or research institutions.
The public alert raises the prospect that British academics who do not act on it could ultimately fall foul of the law. The National Security Act, passed in 2023, created a new offence of assisting a foreign intelligence service where an individual ought to reasonably have known what they were doing.