A Chinese national flag is raised at the Chinese embassy in London. (AP Photo)
MI5 said more than 100 UK-linked academics had contributed to projects funded through CGTRI. MI5 said continued cooperation could potentially result in prosecution under the National Security Act 2023, including provisions covering assistance to a foreign intelligence service.
The British security service said the organisation has “very strong ties” to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). The security service said many academics and institutions may have worked with CGTRI “in good faith”, without being aware of its links to Chinese intelligence. “MI5 has identified that the primary purpose of CGTRI is to fund academic research that directly improves MSS technical capability for espionage,” the agency said in its alert. UK security minister Dan Jarvis said he had written to university vice-chancellors asking them to end arrangements with the organisation.
The research covered areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, covert communications and steganography, a technique used to hide information inside other files or objects. It has now advised universities to immediately review existing and planned collaborations with the organisation. The warning also carries a legal dimension.
MI5 issued a rare public warning on Wednesday over the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT), according to the BBC.
“This alert exposes attempts by Chinese intelligence to covertly benefit from the expertise and research of our academics,” Jarvis said, adding that the government would take action against threats to UK national security. Universities UK and the Russell Group said British universities take research security and national security responsibilities seriously, while stressing the importance of international academic collaboration.