The UK government warned British universities to end collaborations with the China General Technology Research Institute, which MI5 says serves as a cover for espionage activities.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis urged UK academics to terminate all agreements with the China General Technology Research Institute.
MI5 reported that over 100 UK‑affiliated scholars have participated in projects covertly financed by Chinese intelligence via the institute, focusing on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
The agency noted that the institute maintains close links with China’s Ministry of State Security and aims to fund research that bolsters the nation’s technical espionage capabilities.
In recent years, British intelligence officials have increasingly highlighted the espionage risks posed by China, the UK’s third‑largest trading partner. Last year, MI5 Director‑General Ken McCallum warned that Chinese state actors constitute a daily security threat.
Jarvis stated that the MI5 warning reveals Chinese intelligence’s attempts to covertly leverage academic expertise, thereby jeopardizing national security for the UK and its allies.
He indicated that he has written to university leaders to ensure they assist staff in terminating all ties with the institute, noting that such collaboration could violate the National Security Act.
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