German-Chinese Espionage Scandal
“Germany cannot accept foreign espionage against Germany”, Scholz
Washington — The German Chancellor Scholz has condemned recent Chinese espionage activities in Germany and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. Four suspects, including a far-right European Parliament aide and three German citizens, have been arrested for allegedly spying for China.
The AFD (Alternative for Germany) party, to which the aide belonged, is facing backlash and a drop in support following the scandal. The German government is taking the situation seriously and emphasizing the need to investigate and prevent foreign influence through espionage.
Key Concepts
- German Chancellor Scholz condemns Chinese espionage activities in Germany.
- Four suspects, including a far-right European Parliament aide, were arrested for spying for China.
- AFD assistants are accused of passing sensitive information and spying on Chinese dissidents.
- Concern was expressed over accusations against a German politician and a member of Parliament.
- The German government vows to bring those responsible for espionage to justice.
- The AFD leadership faces a potential impact on the party’s campaign due to the espionage scandal.
- AFD’s support in Germany drops from a record high to 16–18% following recent events.
- Analysts attribute the decline in AFD support to various factors, including reports of Chinese spies.
German Chancellor Scholz issued a statement on Wednesday (April 24) regarding the recent spate of Chinese espionage incidents in Germany, firmly stating that Germany cannot accept foreign espionage activities and that Germany will work hard to bring those responsible to court.
In the past two or three days, German authorities have successively arrested four suspects suspected of conducting espionage activities for China. German police on Tuesday arrested an aide to a far-right German member of the European Parliament on suspicion of spying for China.
The assistant’s name is Jian Guo. He has long traveled in German political circles and German-Chinese circles. He is suspected of not only transferring information on negotiations and decision-making in the European Parliament to Chinese intelligence agencies but also collecting information about them through his close relationship with Chinese dissidents living in Germany and reporting it to China’s national security agencies.
On Monday this week, the German authorities also announced that three German citizens were accused of serving Chinese intelligence agencies for a long time and illegally exporting German technological products and military innovations to China.
Scholz said at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Born that the accusations made by German authorities against a German politician and a certain member of Parliament are very disturbing.
“We cannot accept espionage against us, no matter which country it comes from,” he was quoted as saying by the media.
Scholz also emphasized that the arrests of several people in recent espionage cases “should not cause (our) satisfaction, but should prompt us to pursue all those who engage in espionage in our country.”
Guo Jian is an assistant to Maximilian Kla, a member of the European Parliament of the German far-right party Alternative for Germany (AFD). The exposure of Guo Jian’s identity made Kara feel very embarrassed. Clark hurriedly expressed that he was surprised by Guo Jian’s arrest and denied that he had accepted any money from Guo Jian.
“This incident will certainly have a huge impact on the AFD’s campaign,” the media quoted Crane as saying in a report on Wednesday. “Now we are unfortunately talking about China, not Europe.”
Klar said he will no longer attend Saturday’s campaign opening but will remain the lead candidate.
The media said the AFD leadership may find it difficult to distance itself amid growing scandals.
The AFD said in a statement on Wednesday that “any foreign influence through espionage and attempts to buy opinions and positions must be investigated and resolutely stopped.”
Recent polls in Germany show that support for the AFD nationwide has dropped from a record high of 23% in December to 16 to 18%. Analysts say there are several factors contributing to the party’s decline in support, but recent reports of Chinese spies will undoubtedly have a new negative impact on the party.