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Chinese students leave UK amid crackdown, MI5 claims — Analysis

After stricter rules to stop research theft, more than 50 colegians have fled the country with links to the army.

Dozens of Chinese college students enrolled at UK universities have left the country in the past three years because hardened defenses have prevented the theft of sensitive academic research, London’s spy chief has claimed.

More than 50 students with links to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have left the UK since the government reformed its Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS), MI5 director-general Ken McCallum said on Wednesday in a speech to business and education leaders in London. 

UK and US are collaborating to combat the theft and misuse of defence-related technology. “the growing threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),”McCallum shared the stage with Chris Wray, FBI director Chris Wray on Wednesday. “Both our countries have had to take action to stem CCP acquisition of cutting-edge national security advantage,”According to the MI5 chief.

Spy chief calls for tougher laws

McCallum only cites 50 of approximately 150,000 Chinese students who study at UK universities and colleges. Recognizing the importance of these students, “Chinese diaspora’s hugely positive contribution to UK life,”He accused the CCP with conducting a racial profiling. “a coordinated campaign on a grand scale”To target Western universities, high-tech companies, military sources, and other related organisations.

“The most game-changing challenge we face comes from the Chinese Communist Party,”McCallum added. “It’s covertly applying pressure across the globe. This might feel abstract, but it’s real and it’s pressing. This is something we need to be talking about. We need to act.”

McCallum said that while McCallum deplored the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and the challenges presented by Islamic extremists right now, the CCP was still a grave threat to Western interests. He said the CCP was focused on stealing core technologies where it couldn’t otherwise catch up with the West by 2050 and was targeting cutting-edge advances in such areas as artificial intelligence.

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Wray stated that the Chinese government was posing a threat to Wray’s health. “the biggest long-term threat to our economic and national security.”On average, China-related investigations are opened by the FBI every twelve hours. This is a 1300% increase in cases load from 2015.

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