Over 100 UK-linked academics unwittingly aided China espionage, MI5 warns

More than 100 academics linked to British institutions have unwittingly contributed to Chinese espionage operations through a front company working with China's intelligence and security services, the UK's MI5 has warned, reports the BBC.

In an unusual public alert, the UK's internal security agency warned universities and academics that continued ties with the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) could potentially lead to criminal charges for assisting a foreign state.

However, CGTRI, also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT), has "very strong ties" to China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).

It said the organisation's primary purpose is to fund academic research that could enhance the MSS's technical capabilities for espionage.

The research involved areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, covert communications systems, and steganography, a technique for concealing secret messages or files within ordinary content.

MI5 said many universities and academics may have worked with CGTRI "in good faith" because its links to Chinese state security had been obscured. The agency urged UK academic institutions to immediately review ongoing or planned collaborations with CGTRI to prevent further benefits to the MSS.

The warning also highlighted the National Security Act 2023, which created an offense of assisting a foreign intelligence service where an individual reasonably should have known they were doing so.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the alert exposed attempts by Chinese intelligence agencies to covertly benefit from the expertise and research of British academics.

He said he had written to university vice-chancellors urging them to end relationships with the organisation.

Universities in the UK said institutions take research and national security responsibilities "extremely seriously" and have strengthened due diligence, risk assessment, and research security measures.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in London rejected the allegations, describing them as "imaginary and purely fabricated."

It said academic exchanges between UK universities and China were voluntary, mutually beneficial, and conducted in compliance with laws and regulations.

The embassy urged UK authorities to stop spreading what it called false information and undermining educational and research cooperation between the two countries.