Over 100 academics linked to British institutions have unwittingly assisted China’s espionage operations against the UK via a front company working for its intelligence and security services, MI5 has warned.

In the highly unusual public alert, the UK’s internal security service warned universities and academics that continuing ties with China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) could ultimately lead to criminal charges for aiding a foreign state.

Security minister Dan Jarvis said MI5’s warning exposed attempts by Chinese intelligence agencies to use British academic research to undermine UK national security.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in London said the accusation was “imaginary and purely fabricated”.

Universities UK, which represents more than 140 institutions, meanwhile said it was reviewing the alert and focusing on “supporting our universities as they assess any implications for existing or future partnerships”.

In June, MI5 and its closest partners in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, issued a joint warning that China’s military intelligence services were targeting professional networking sites and online job platforms.

This new UK-specific alert goes further, revealing what the service says is a threat that has been growing within British academic institutions.

MI5 says that the CGTRI, sometimes translated as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT), has “very strong ties” to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS).

“MI5 has identified that the primary purpose of CGTRI is to fund academic research that directly improves MSS technical capability for espionage,” it says.

“More than 100 UK-linked academics have contributed to projects funded by MSS via CGTRI,” adding that in some cases the research would not be aware of the front company’s role in their project.