By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-30 13:26:08 | Updated at 2026-09-30 14:31:40
1 hour ago
More than 100 academics with links to the UK have worked on projects secretly funded by Chinese intelligence to develop technology to use for spying, MI5 has warned.
The funding was channelled through the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), which is also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT).
MI5 has formally declared that the institute has "very strong ties" to the MSS and serves as an arm of Chinese state intelligence.
The Chinese spy agency has been posing as an academic institute to harvest expertise from British universities.
The warning published on MI5’s website read: "UK academic institutions are strongly advised to immediately review any ongoing or planned collaboration with CGTRI.
"This is to ensure MSS derives no further benefit from UK universities or research institutions."
The research includes artificial intelligence and cyber security, which is said to have directly benefited Chinese spies.
Academics have now been told to double-check the ultimate source of funding before entering research collaborations with Chinese institutions and warned to familiarise themselves with the National Security Act.
They could now face prosecution after the alert was issued.
The Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, sent a letter to all university Vice-Chancellors in an effort to ensure British institutions would not "further benefit the Chinese intelligence services".
He said: "This alert exposes attempts by Chinese intelligence to covertly benefit from the expertise and research of our academics, undermining our national security, and that of our allies".
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