MI5 issues China 'espionage alert' after 100 UK academics conned into helping Beijing intelligence

MI5 issues China 'espionage alert' after 100 UK academics conned into helping Beijing intelligence As growing global tensions spark war fears British MI5 takes unprecedented move of publicly warning more than 100 college professors have been duped by Beijing's top spooks British MI5 spies have today issued a major “espionage alert” after uncovering a sophisticated plot by Chinese intelligence to vacuum up technical knowledge from more than 100 UK-linked academics. Beijing’s spooks have been publicly called out for having used a front-company to covertly gather information on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and covert communications - and then use it against the west. All of the information provided has been given to the China General Technology Research Institute - which has been used as a front for China’s MSS spy agency. The UK’s domestic intelligence agency MI5 discovered that the CGTRI’s main purpose is to provide MSS with help in espionage, after months of investigation. It's public exposing of the Chinese intelligence plot on the MI5 website today is the first time the Security Service has publicly published an espionage alert. The MSS is the Ministry of State Security Beijing spy agency, China’s main secret spy agency working against foreign governments. That means more than 100 “UK-linked” British academics and others working in the UK have been conned into helping Chinese intelligence in its shadowy war against the UK by stealing technical secrets. And now the Security Service is drawing a line under the scandal, whilst warning future academics approached to undergo research for companies with foreign links that they must be careful about who they are really working for. 'Top academics' Sources told the Mirror that university research into AI, cybersecurity and covert communications is often undertaken by top academics who may have been duped into sharing their technical breakthroughs with Chinese intelligence. Some of the information shared by individuals may have seemed harmless but when put together with information from multiple other individuals it could offer China a huge advantage. In recent years the Mirror has learned of multiple instances when China has launched an intelligence operation to steal technology from the UK. This has the damaging effect of hitting the UK economy, saving time and money on research and development and undermining UK technological breakthroughs. In one incident a piece of aerospace technology was pilfered over the internet. This cost the British economy hundreds of millions as the technology was no longer for sale exclusively as the patent had been breached. Now Chinese intelligence has made inroads into British academia prompting MI5 to warn professors and their colleagues to take precautions against helping foreign intelligence. Otherwise they could be in breach of the National Security Act and face a lengthy jail term. Today Security Minister Dan Jarvis 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. I have written to all university Vice-Chancellors to ensure they support their staff to end all arrangements with this company, preventing further benefit to the Chinese intelligence services and ensuring compliance with the National Security Act. “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." MI5 advised: “Many academic institutions and individuals will to date have engaged with CGTRI in good faith given its obfuscated links to MSS. 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. “Further , academics are advised to establish the ultimate funding source when conducting any research collaboration with Chinese institutions, to ensure CGTRI is not involved. Through this espionage alert MI5 has placed the fact that CGTRI has very strong ties to MSS in the public domain.”