German police arrested an assistant to a European Parliament member from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on suspicion of "an especially severe case" of espionage for China.
The federal prosecutor's office announced on Tuesday that the suspect, Jian G., was accused of providing the Chinese intelligence service with sensitive information about negotiations and decisions within the European Parliament.
Details of the Allegations
According to Reuters, Jian G. worked for Maximilian Krah, the AfD's top candidate in the European Parliament elections in June.
He is alleged to have passed information to Chinese intelligence about parliamentary activities, as well as spying on Chinese opposition figures residing in Germany. Authorities arrested Jian G. in Dresden on Monday and conducted raids on his properties in Brussels and Dresden.
The federal prosecutor's office stated that Jian G. is accused of "an especially severe case of working for a foreign secret service." This is a serious charge, indicating that the alleged espionage involved sensitive and potentially damaging information.
An AfD spokesperson described the news as "very disturbing."
"As we have no further information on the case at the moment, we must wait for the prosecutors' further investigation," the spokesperson told Reuters.
Krah and the Chinese embassy did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
Broader Context
This arrest came on the same day that three German nationals were detained on suspicion of collaborating with China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) to provide technology that could be used for military purposes.
The arrests took place shortly after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited China to discuss various issues, including Beijing's support for Russia's wartime economy, intellectual property theft, and fair market access.
