Three Germans have been arrested on suspicion of working with Chinese intelligence services to supply technology that could be used for military purposes, potentially helping to strengthen China’s navy, German officials said on Monday.
The arrests came a week after Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled to China to pressure Beijing over its support for Russia’s wartime economy and to raise issues of intellectual property theft and fair market access .
Interior Secretary Nancy Faeser said the government was monitoring what she called a significant threat posed by Chinese espionage in business, industry and science.
“We observe these risks and threats very carefully and clearly warn and raise awareness about them so that protection measures are increased everywhere,” he said in a statement.
In this case the issue of innovative German technologies that could be used for military purposes was “particularly sensitive”, he added.
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement: “At the time of their arrest, the defendants were in negotiations about research projects that could be particularly useful for expanding China’s maritime combat power.”
China’s Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Prosecutors identified the suspects as Herwig F. and Ina F, a couple who run a business in Dusseldorf, and Thomas R., described by prosecutors as an agent of an unnamed official from China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS ).
The arrests were made based on information gathered by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, prosecutors said.
Last week, Germany arrested two German-Russian citizens suspected of spying for Russia. They were said to have planned sabotage attacks aimed at undermining Germany’s military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Source: Terra
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