MI5 Warns UK Academics Over China Research Institute Linked To Espionage

Britain’s domestic intelligence agency MI5 has warned universities and researchers to review their collaborations with a Chinese research institute, saying the organisation funds academic work that directly improves China’s Ministry of State Security’s technical capabilities for espionage.

In an espionage alert issued on Wednesday, MI5 said the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), also known as the China Academy of General Technology, has “very strong ties” to the Ministry of State Security (MSS), China’s civilian intelligence and security service. MI5 said more than 100 UK-linked academics have contributed to research projects funded by the MSS through CGTRI.

The agency said some academics may not have been aware that CGTRI was funding the Chinese research projects they were contributing to.

What MI5 Says

MI5 said CGTRI-funded research includes artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, covert communications systems and steganography, technologies that can have both civilian and security applications.

The agency said the primary purpose it identified for CGTRI was funding academic research that directly improves MSS technical capability for espionage, and said the activity represents a UK national-security threat.

MI5 did not say that all UK academics involved in the projects were knowingly assisting Chinese intelligence. Instead, it said many academic institutions and individuals had engaged with CGTRI in good faith because of what it described as the institute’s obscured links to the MSS.

What Universities Are Told

MI5 has advised UK academic institutions to immediately review any existing or planned collaboration with CGTRI.

Researchers are also being advised to establish the ultimate source of funding when working with Chinese institutions to ensure CGTRI is not involved. MI5 said institutions should use the UK government’s Research Collaboration Advice Team and the National Protective Security Authority’s Trusted Research guidance when assessing potential partnerships.

The warning forms part of the UK’s broader approach to countering state threats. MI5 says foreign governments can seek access to sensitive information through academic partnerships, supply chains and investment, including research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and dual-use technologies.

National Security Act Warning

The new alert also carries a legal warning for researchers who continue such collaborations after the links between CGTRI and the MSS have been made public.

MI5 specifically referred to Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, which covers assisting a foreign intelligence service, and Section 17, concerning obtaining a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service.

Under Section 3, MI5 said an offence can arise where conduct is likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service in UK-related activities and the individual knows, or ought reasonably to know, that this is the case. Anyone continuing research ultimately funded by CGTRI has been advised to obtain independent legal advice.

The alert does not accuse all UK-linked researchers who worked on CGTRI-funded projects of espionage or criminal activity. Instead, MI5 is warning institutions to identify the ultimate funding source of collaborations and assess whether continued involvement could create national-security or legal risks.