MI5 has issued an espionage alert warning that more than 100 academics with U.K. links may have participated in research projects allegedly financed through an organization it says supports China’s intelligence services.
In the September 30 alert, the Security Service identified the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), also referred to as the China Academy of General Technology, as an entity it assesses to be a front for China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). MI5 said the organization’s main purpose is to fund work intended to strengthen the MSS’s technical espionage capabilities.
According to the agency, CGTRI-backed projects cover fields such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, covert communications and steganography. MI5 said some researchers may have been unaware of the institute’s alleged role in financing their work.
Call for due diligence
The alert asks universities and research organizations to examine current and proposed relationships involving CGTRI and to establish the ultimate source of funding behind partnerships with Chinese institutions. MI5 said the activity described in its assessment could contribute to espionage risks affecting U.K. national security.
The agency also noted that continued cooperation in certain circumstances could expose institutions and individuals to scrutiny under the National Security Act 2023. The law includes offenses related to materially assisting foreign intelligence services in activities connected to the United Kingdom.
China rejects the claims
China’s embassy in London rejected the allegations, describing them as unfounded and saying it had raised objections with the British government. An embassy spokesperson said academic exchanges between China and the United Kingdom are voluntary, lawful and mutually beneficial, and urged British intelligence authorities not to damage research cooperation.
The warning follows broader debate in the U.K. over foreign interference risks in higher education. The U.K.-China Transparency think tank has previously alleged that CGTRI has personnel links to institutions with close connections to the MSS and conducts work in areas relevant to cyber and signals intelligence. China has disputed related allegations concerning its activities in British universities.