Beijing described, on Friday April 26, as “pure invention” the suspicions of espionage expressed by Berlin after the arrest this week in Germany of four Germans suspected of working on behalf of the Chinese secret services. China also referred to “unfounded accusations” through its foreign ministry.
It is in this context that the German ambassador in Beijing, Patricia Flor, said she had been summoned by the Chinese authorities on Thursday. “It’s a gesture that says a lot, but after all it was a good opportunity to explain certain things,” the diplomat reported. “We do not tolerate spying, no matter what country it comes from,” she said. “The Federal Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation. In the end, it will be an independent court that will decide on the accusation,” added Ms. Flor.
Three of the four suspects worked in the world of scientific research and would have collected information on “innovative technologies that could be used for military purposes”, according to the German prosecutor’s office.
Assistant to MEP arrested
The last, a German national of Chinese origin named Jian G. by the prosecution, was arrested on Tuesday. Since 2019, he has worked as an assistant to German MEP Maximilian Krah, head of the list of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party for the European elections in June. Jian G. is suspected of having spied on Chinese opponents in Germany and of having shared information on the European Parliament with a Chinese intelligence service.
A spokesperson for the European Parliament announced “its suspension” with immediate effect, “taking into account the seriousness of the revelations.” Mr. Krah announced on X that he would end working relations with his assistant “if the accusations prove true.” The elected official is also cited in the affair revealed by Poland and the Czech Republic of corruption of European elected officials favorable to Russia: he admitted at the beginning of April to having appeared twice on the Voice website of Europe – a site registered in Prague and closed by the Czech authorities, where pro-Russian information and criticism of Western aid to Ukraine were relayed – but not having “received any money for it”.
“China resolutely opposes any defamation and slander against it,” the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said. Beijing “asks Germany to remain vigilant about attempts to damage bilateral relations” and “to end the anti-China political farce,” he continued.