MI5 Warns UK Universities About China's CGTRI Funding
MI5 has revealed that over 100 UK academics have been involved in projects funded by the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), which is believed to be backed by China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).
According to MI5, CGTRI funds research in AI, cybersecurity, covert communications systems, and steganography. The agency warns that while many institutions and academics may have collaborated with CGTRI in good faith, the institute's links to MSS were not transparent.
Academics working with CGTRI could face prosecution under the National Security Act 2023, specifically sections 3 and 17, which cover assisting a foreign intelligence service and obtaining benefits from them, respectively.
MI5 has issued an Espionage Alert to universities, advising them to review any current or planned collaborations with CGTRI. This is the first time MI5 has independently published such an alert.
Security minister Dan Jarvis has written to all UK university vice-chancellors, urging them to end relationships with CGTRI.
In response, the Chinese embassy in London denied the accusations, calling them "imaginary and purely fabricated."
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