Three people suspected of transferring innovative technologies for military use to China were arrested in Germany. According to reports, it was claimed that three Germans worked with the Chinese secret service to steal technologies that could be used for military purposes and strengthen the Chinese navy. It is also noteworthy that this espionage activity took place a week after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to China.
Three Chinese spies caught in Germany
German prosecutors said the individuals, identified as Thomas R, Herwig F and InaF, had been working for Chinese intelligence through a company in Düsseldorf since June 2022. Additionally, Thomas R is alleged to have acted as a spy for an employee of the Chinese Ministry of State Security. These arrests came just a week after German Chancellor Olaf Sholz visited China. During his three-day visit, Sholz pressed China on issues such as wartime support for the Russian economy, intellectual property theft and fair market access.
German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in his statement, ” At the time of their arrest, the defendants were discussing research projects that could be particularly useful for increasing China’s naval combat power. ” It is stated that the arrested people played a role in issues such as the export of a military laser to China. Additionally, technology to improve the performance of naval ships may have been shared with the Chinese.
Recently, two Russian-German citizens were arrested in the country on suspicion of spying for Russia. Russian agents were suspected of planning to sabotage military aid to Ukraine. The capture of Chinese spies could be an element of confidence for Intel and TSMC, which have made significant investments in Germany and plan to establish huge production facilities .
