MI5 has told UK universities to stop working with and taking grants from the China General Technology Research Institute, which it says is a front company used by China's intelligence service to steal hi-tech research.
MI5 has issued a rare public warning to UK universities, saying China’s intelligence service used a front company to pay grants to British academics and steal crucial research about technology projects, according to the Guardian.
Britain’s domestic security service identified the organisation as the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), sometimes also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT). MI5 said researchers and academics should cease work with the body, which it believes poses a “significant threat”.
According to the Guardian, the alert centres on claims that the firm, which it describes as backed by China’s intelligence service, paid for research by UK academics in order to access the secrets of hi-tech projects.
The move is unusual because MI5 rarely makes public espionage warnings of this kind. The Guardian reported that the alert instructs academics both to stop working with the firm and to stop taking grants from it.
The Guardian noted that the China alert will send a chill through the UK’s cash-strapped universities, many of which rely on external research funding. The report did not detail which institutions, if any, had received funds from the named body.
Additional reporting on the story was provided by Helena Horton, according to the Guardian.
Why it matters
The warning highlights growing concerns about foreign interference in UK research, particularly in sensitive high-technology fields. For universities facing financial pressures, it raises difficult questions about the sources of research funding and the security of their work.