30 September 2026 , 15:51
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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.
This is the first time the security service has issued an independent public alert warning about a research institute that serves as an arm of Chinese state intelligence.
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".
He added: "International partnerships are vital to ensure our universities and research institutes continue to thrive, but we will take robust action to defend against the threats we face.
"That means supporting our police and intelligence services to expose and disrupt harmful activity, using the full force of the law."
Sir Ken McCallum, MI5’s director-general, and Richard Horne, the chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, summoned representatives from more than 70 universities to a closed-door security briefing earlier this year.
Libby Hackett, the chief executive of the Russell Group, supported universities in Britain.
She said: "The ground-breaking research that Russell Group universities produce, including in fields of strategic national importance, is an incredibly important asset for the UK.
"International collaboration remains a crucial part of the picture, but we know our world-leading research strengths can make the UK a target for hostile actors.
“As such, all our universities take national security responsibilities very seriously.
"Working closely with government departments and the security services enables universities to take swift action to protect UK interests, and we will continue to do so in the face of new and emerging threats."
Politics Editor