MI5 has issued a rare public warning urging British academics to halt all ties with a Chinese-linked research institute accused of espionage, alleging it has used a front company to fund UK universities while stealing sensitive technology research. The security service describes the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) as a "significant threat," raising concerns over intellectual property theft amid financial pressures facing cash-strapped British universities. The alert follows evidence that the institute has paid grants under false pretenses, blurring the line between legitimate collaboration and covert intelligence operations. Universities now face a dilemma: protecting national security or risking lost funding in an increasingly competitive research landscape.
Security service says academics should stop taking grants from and working with firm backed by China’s intelligence serviceMI5 China alert will send chill through UK’s cash-strapped universitiesChina’s intelligence service used a front company to pay grants to British universities and steal crucial research about technology projects, MI5 said on Wednesday in a rare public espionage warning.Britain’s domestic security service said researchers and academics should cease work with the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), sometimes also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT). MI5 believes it poses a “significant threat”. Continue reading...
