MI5 warns UK universities over China-linked research funding

MI5 has issued a public espionage alert urging UK universities to review current and planned work with the China General Technology Research Institute, saying the organisation has strong ties to China’s Ministry of State Security and funds research that could improve its espionage capabilities. The warning says more than 100 UK-linked academics have contributed to CGTRI-funded projects. The claims about the institute’s intelligence links and purpose are MI5’s assessment; the supplied reports do not provide independent evidence establishing them. The alert identifies research areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, covert communications and steganography, a method of concealing information within other data. MI5 says CGTRI, also known as the China Academy of General Technology, has very strong ties to the Ministry of State Security, China’s civilian intelligence agency. It describes the institute’s primary purpose as funding academic research that directly improves the service’s technical capabilities for espionage. MI5 said some universities and researchers may have engaged with CGTRI in good faith because its alleged intelligence links were obscured.