German citizens detained for alleged ties to Chinese secret service

Three German citizens have been detained on suspicion of cooperating with the Chinese secret service to transfer technology that could potentially be used for military purposes, prosecutors announced on Monday.

The arrests come shortly after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to China, during which he urged Beijing to address its support for the Russian economy during the Ukraine conflict and raised concerns about intellectual property theft and fair market access.

Germany, which sees China as both a partner and a competitor, is particularly concerned that China is exporting dual-use goods to Russia, which can be repurposed for military use as well as civilian applications.

Prosecutors identified the detainees as Herwig F. and Ina F., a married couple who run a company in Dusseldorf, and Thomas R., described as an agent of someone linked to China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).

The couple's company had signed a cooperation agreement with a German university and, as part of this agreement, had carried out a study for a Chinese colleague on machine parts applicable to powerful marine engines, including those used on warships.

The Chinese liaison involved in this deal was the MSS employee who allegedly directed Thomas R. The suspects allegedly bought a special laser from Germany, which was financed by the MSS, and exported it to China without authorization, although prosecutors did not specify the intended use of the laser.

Last year, the Scholz administration unveiled a strategy paper describing China as both a crucial trading partner and a systemic adversary and warning businesses and research institutions about cyber and hybrid security threats emanating from China.

Chinese Embassy yet to respond

The Chinese Embassy in Berlin has not yet reacted to requests for comment. This development follows the arrest last week of two Russian-German citizens suspected of spying for Russia. They reportedly conspired to organise sabotage attacks aimed at undermining Germany's military support for Ukraine against Russia.

According to prosecutors, Monday's arrests were based on intelligence provided by Germany's domestic intelligence agency.

Soruce: Reuters