95
UK Intelligence Agency issues alert - Chinese are paying universities and getting research data in return (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 day ago* by to c/news@hexbear.net
19 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Chinese companies accused of such heinous crimes as.. LEGALLY PAYING FOR RESEARCH GRANTS biden-horror

The Chinese organisation has given money to 100 or more academics at a string of universities across the UK, in return getting access to the research

Even going so far as to praise people for good work capitaldcolon

The Guardian understands that as well as research money, some British-based academics were given awards, as in honours, by the Chinese.

This is somehow portrayed as "stealing" and because the company has links to the government collaboration heretofore will supposedly be treated as willing espionage.

The evil Chinese are paying our universities to do research and lauding them for their hard work. What evil schemes will they mastermind next???

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 37 points 1 day ago* (4 children)

I'm sorry but fuck off?

Paying for research grants and receiving access to the research is like... Normal? What the fuck is supposed to be wrong here? The academics aren't doing anything wrong either, they're not under any obligation whatsoever to ensure that it's not the Chinese government paying for the grants. Their research is not secret and does not have to remain secret, it's not government research. There is no "spying" happening here. What is actually happening here is a government is offering academics a funding source and they're saying "ooo yes please" and taking it, likely because they're not getting other offers or it is the best offer they have.

Such is the scale of Chinese state espionage targeting the UK that MI5 has decided on a deterrence strategy via a public alert such as this, rather than pursuing every single case. It hopes universities will heed the warning and immediately cease their work with the CGTRI.

That probably means they don't want to pursue the cases because they don't expect it to stand up in court.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 3 points 14 hours ago

    I think it's the banks and hege funds watching potential profit walk away because they only have a one track mind. Once China gets it, they will make it cheaper and better. Then spread it across the globe. Wall Street and City of London can't exploit it and enshittify it for profits. That is what Aaron Swartz died for. Academic Research should be public.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] [S] 9 points 18 hours ago* (1 child)

    What is actually happening here is a government is offering academics a funding source and they're saying "ooo yes please" and taking it, likely because they're not getting other offers or it is the best offer they have.

    This is what I really don't get. Does the government actively want our research capabilities to shrink due to lack of funding, while the evil Chinese invest (even more) in their own research capabilities?

    The point about MI5 just throwing toys out the pram because they have no legal basis to stand on is probably very accurate. If that is the case, hopefully enough of academia sees this as the pointless scare tactic it seems to be.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 6 points 18 hours ago*

    Right? The obvious thing to do to stop this would be to grab some marxist professor and make an extreme example of them in the courts. Doing so would scare the shit out of anyone else and permanently stop it. But they're not doing so, why?

    I suspect it's partially because they can't. I also suspect it's partially because they're scared they'll get brain drain to China as people just fucking leave to go do the research they want to do over there instead.

    Like why do any of these professors have to stay in the UK to do it? Fine, Chinese intelligence can invite them to do it in China instead. The only thing keeping them in the UK is their social roots. Moving to China isn't defecting, or perhaps UK intelligence do see it that way.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent