Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will issue guidance warning universities against collaborating with China’ s University of International Relations in the context of the MI5 alert on the China General Technology Research Institute.

The recent espionage alert on the China General Technology Research Institute is an operational decision taken by MI5. It would not be appropriate to comment on action relating to other institutions.

However, the Research Collaboration Advice Team (RCAT) in the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) work directly with research institutions across the country to help them identify, manage and mitigate national security risks in international research.

RCAT's work is underpinned by Trusted Research guidance from the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and by a robust legislative framework that includes the Academic Technology Approvals Scheme, Export Controls and the National Security and Investment Act.