UK's MI5 warns academics to cut ties with Chinese institution

The UK's domestic intelligence service MI5 on Wednesday issued a rare alert warning academics against collaborating with a Chinese technology institute, saying it funds research to improve Beijing's espionage capabilities.

The UK agency said it had detected "very strong ties" between the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) and the Chinese Ministry of State Security.

It urged UK academic institutions to "immediately review" any ongoing or planned cooperation with the institute and take legal advice.

It said "more than 100 UK-linked academics have contributed" to projects funded by the Chinese ministry via the CGTRI, which it said has the "primary purpose" of supporting research that improves Beijing's "technical capability for espionage".

The Chinese embassy rejected MI5's allegations as "imaginary and purely fabricated".

"We firmly oppose such baseless allegations and have lodged solemn representations with the UK side," an embassy spokesman said in a statement sent to AFP.

MI5 said UK academics have contributed to projects funded by the institute on topics including artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, covert communications systems and steganography -- hiding encrypted data inside seemingly ordinary files or images.

This activity presents a "threat to UK national security", it said, stressing that while academics may have been acting in good faith, after this warning any further cooperation with the Chinese institution could breach the National Security Act.

In November, MI5 warned that China was using spies disguised as head-hunters to recruit parliamentarians, allegations also denied by the Chinese embassy in London.