Information
German authorities have detained an aide to Maximilian Krah, a leading figure in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, on charges of espionage. The assistant, identified only as Jian G., is accused of relaying sensitive details about European Parliament deliberations to China’s Ministry of State Security, as well as spying on Chinese dissidents within Germany. Arrested in Dresden by the Saxony State Criminal Police Office, Jian G. faces serious allegations of working as a foreign agent. The ramifications of these charges have prompted Krah to announce potential immediate termination of Jian G.’s position if the allegations are substantiated. Both Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann have expressed grave concerns about the case, labelling the espionage activities as “extremely serious” and calling for stringent consequences should the accusations hold.
Chinese espionage in Germany is increasing, with a recent arrest being part of a larger pattern of such activities. This highlights concerns about ongoing surveillance, which goes beyond political espionage to include economic and military intelligence gathering. This situation adds to the complexity of Germany’s diplomatic relations, particularly at a time when Chancellor Olaf Scholz is urging China to take a tougher stance on Russia in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Source: AFP, AP
So what
Two days in a row; while there is no information to confirm that these two arrests are linked, it appears possible. China has taken a decent blow to its intelligence network in Europe over the last couple of days and months. Although they likely maintain a significant number of assets working at various levels, these arrests will likely cause some concern. Sadly, China is almost certainly skilled enough to have its network organised in a way that limits its exposure due to these arrests, meaning that even if the two are linked, more are unlikely to follow.
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