MI5 has issued a rare public espionage warning, instructing UK universities to stop working with and accepting research funding from the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT). The domestic security service believes the organization poses a significant threat, acting on behalf of Beijing's state security service.
According to MI5, the institute used a front company to pay grants to British universities to steal crucial research about technology projects and boost Beijing's espionage capability. More than 100 UK-based academics have contributed to projects funded by the group, which has very strong ties to Beijing intelligence and is sending research back to China.
The issuance of this alert is part of an extraordinary shift by the British government to raise public alarms about the scale and threat of Chinese espionage.