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MI5 Accuses CGTRI of China Ties as Z.AI Faces Barred Access

By Drooid · Oct 20, 2026, 6:33 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Z.AI Co. founders joined a CGTRI-funded AI research project that ran Jan 2018–Dec 2021.
The project received a CNY2 approved budget and a reported 94 million yuan (?$437,000) allocation.
UK MI5 accused CGTRI of “very strong ties” to China’s Ministry of State Security, which China’s UK embassy called baseless.
US officials last year barred Z.AI from American technology and alleged it stole proprietary data from US rivals.

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Story summary

Z.AI Co. founders joined a CGTRI-funded AI research project that ran Jan 2018–Dec 2021.
The project received a CNY2 approved budget and a reported 94 million yuan (?$437,000) allocation.
UK MI5 accused CGTRI of “very strong ties” to China’s Ministry of State Security, which China’s UK embassy called baseless.
US officials last year barred Z.AI from American technology and alleged it stole proprietary data from US rivals.