MI5 20 Years Too Late On Chinese Espionage at UK Universities?

Intellectual property and research secrets have been plundered by China for decades at Britain’s universities, but it seems UK’s intelligence services like MI5 are only acting on the threat now. Is this a little too late?

The authoritarian and brutal communist Chinese government is attempting to become the world’s greatest superpower through predatory lending and business practices, systematised theft of intellectual property, and flagrant cyber intrusions.

China’s efforts target businesses, academic institutions, researchers, lawmakers, and the general public and will require a whole-of-society response, but the UK is severely compromised already and is too late to the party.

Chinese agents have even infiltrated parliament, and many universities, as well as sensitive military related private sector companies within the UK. The government and the private sector must commit to working together to better understand and counter the threat.

China cannot innovate itself, therefore stealing other people’s hard work and innovation is the de facto normal practice employed by the ruthless CCP regime and its vast network of spies and hackers.

Confucius Trojan Horse

Confucius Institutes on 30 university campuses across the country pose a serious threat to UK security. The institutes are funded by the Chinese government to promote its language and culture, but are increasingly seen as Trojan horses for spreading Communist Party influence and monitoring Chinese students studying abroad.

Universities are wary of sticking their necks out and closing their own institutes, because it might jeopardise broader research collaboration and lucrative student flows from China,

Universities’ reliance on overseas funding thus leaves them open to being “influenced, exploited, or even coerced” by foreign powers.

Today, MI5 has finally got round to warning universities they could have to bolster their security in a bid to stop spies from accessing crucial research.

Ken McCallum, the MI5 director general, and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) chief Felicity Oswald, briefed leaders from 24 top universities on the threat posed by foreign states.

A little too late for the lax security services. The Chinese are no doubt laughing, as they have already stolen vast amounts of crucial data from UK institutions, and continue to do so with impunity.