Key facts
- MI5 warns UK tech startups to expect foreign spying.
- China's intelligence service is using a front company to steal UK tech secrets.
- The China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) is identified as a front for China's ministry of state security (MSS).
- UK academics funded by CGTRI may face prosecution under the National Security Act 2023.
- Targeted research areas include AI, cybersecurity, covert communications, and steganography.
- The Chinese embassy denies allegations, calling them "imaginary and purely fabricated".
British tech startups and universities are being warned by MI5 to anticipate targeting by foreign intelligence services, as the UK's domestic security agency intensifies efforts to combat cyber attacks and the theft of sensitive technological information. MI5 has issued a rare public alert identifying the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT), as a front for China's ministry of state security (MSS).
MI5 believes the CGTRI poses a significant threat and has stated that continued collaboration by UK academics with the institute could lead to prosecution under the National Security Act 2023. The organization has reportedly funded over 100 academics at various UK universities in exchange for access to research in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, covert communications, and steganography. MI5 claims to have evidence that sensitive information has been passed back to Chinese intelligence.
The Chinese embassy in London has strongly rebutted the accusations, describing them as "imaginary and purely fabricated" and asserting that exchanges and collaborations are conducted voluntarily and in compliance with laws. The security minister, Dan Jarvis, has written to all UK universities, demanding they cease any ties with CGTRI. Experts have raised concerns about the vetting processes for sensitive research collaborations, while university leaders noted that while they may not have directly received funding from CGTRI, individual academics working on joint projects might not be aware of the original funding sources.