Exports to China and Weapons

Posted: 8th February 2021

Almost 200 British academics are being investigated on suspicion of
unwittingly helping the Chinese government build weapons of mass
destruction, The Times can reveal. They are suspected of violating strict
export laws intended to prevent intellectual property in highly sensitive
subjects being handed to hostile states.

Times 8th Feb 2021

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hundreds-of-uk-academics-investigated-over-weapons-links-to-china-bpcks76bv

HM Revenue and Customs is preparing to inform up to 200 British academics
that they are being investigated for potential breach of export control
rules by sharing highly sensitive information that could help China develop
weapons of mass destruction.

Times 8th Feb 2021

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hmrc-accuses-british-universities-of-inadvertently-aiding-chinese-military-ptnqsfzfc

It took a letter from Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons foreign
affairs committee, to alert Manchester University to the fact that a
Chinese company with which it was collaborating was implicated in
Beijing’s persecution of the Uighurs. The university, which cut off ties
with China Electronics Technology Corporation (CETC) last week, said that
the letter was the first credible information that it had received about
its partner’s role in providing surveillance technology used to spy on
China’s Muslim minority. That is surprising given that two Australian
universities cut off links with CETC in 2019 after similar warnings. But
what is more troubling is that Manchester appears to be far from alone in
partnering with Chinese companies with defence links on cutting-edge
scientific research. Indeed the Foreign Office is investigating more than a
dozen universities for possible breaches of national security rules.

Times 8th Feb 2021

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-times-view-on-institutions-ties-with-china-academic-decoupling-zdls230qc