BERLIN – Three German nationals have been arrested on suspicion of working with the Chinese secret service to hand over technologies that could be used for military purposes, German prosecutors said on April 22.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the government was monitoring what she called a significant threat posed by Chinese espionage in business, industry and science.
“We look very closely at these risks and threats and have clearly warned and raised awareness about them so that protective measures are increased everywhere,” she said in a statement.
In this case, the issue of German innovative technologies that can be used for military purposes was “particularly sensitive”, she added.
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement: “At the time of their arrest, the accused were in further negotiations about research projects that could be particularly useful for expanding China’s maritime combat power.”
The Chinese embassy in Berlin said Beijing firmly rejected accusations that it carried out spying activities in Germany.
“We call on Germany to desist from exploiting the espionage accusation to politically manipulate the image of China and defame China,” a spokesperson for the embassy said in an emailed statement.
The suspects were identified as Herwig F and Ina F, a married couple who run a company in Dusseldorf, and Thomas R, whom prosecutors described as an agent for an employee of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).
Through their company, the couple concluded a cooperation agreement with a German university, part of which involved preparing a study for a Chinese contractual partner on machine parts that can be used for the operation of powerful marine engines such as combat ships, the statement said.
The Chinese contract partner was the MSS employee from whom Thomas R. received his orders, it added.
The suspects also purchased a special laser from Germany on behalf of and with payment from the MSS and exported it to China without authorisation, according to the prosecutors.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in China last week to press the case for Beijing to guarantee German firms equal market access, while also conveying concerns in Europe about Beijing’s economic policies and support for Russia.
The arrests were made on the basis of information gathered by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, prosecutors said.
Last week, Germany arrested two Russian-German nationals on suspicion of spying for Russia. They were said to have plotted sabotage attacks aimed at undermining Germany’s military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. REUTERS
