China and the UK... after the 'Golden Era'
Summary
File on 4 investigates how the UK's "Golden Era" with China left sensitive technology and institutions vulnerable to state influence. The episode examines the covert activities of the CCP's United Front, including the first UK espionage convictions and MI5's warning about agents targeting MPs. It details how UK tech firms and universities, such as Imagination Technologies and Oxford's blockchain research, became entangled with Chinese state-owned enterprises and military suppliers. Experts and whistleblowers reveal how these partnerships facilitated potential tech transfer and cognitive war…
Topics discussed
Sponsorship and podcast introductions
China's shadow policing and UK security warnings
Investigating Chinese influence in London's Chinatown
The United Front and MI5's naming of an agent
Mister Tang and PLA officers dining in the UK
Westminster University training PLA officers
The Golden Era of UK-China relations
Rising tensions: Huawei ban and Hong Kong protests
Conviction of spies in the first UK national security case
Imagination Technologies and the GPU technology transfer
Sponsorship segments and transition
Oxford's Blockhouse Technology and blockchain basics
Chinese investment and the risks of permissioned blockchain
Links to China Electronics Corporation and military fusion
Responses from TBTL, Oxford, and the Chinese embassy
Credits and promotion of other BBC podcasts
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