On April 22, almost a week after the German chancellor’s return from his visit to China, news broke about the arrest of four German citizens suspected of spying for China. In the first case, a husband and wife, as well as another individual, were arrested on suspicion of industrial espionage for the Chinese navy. In the second case, a German of Chinese descent—who served as the parliamentary advisor to the leading candidate for the far-right AfD Party in the upcoming elections to the European Parliament in June—was arrested on charges of espionage for the Chinese government, which included sharing internal information about activities in the European Parliament.
At the same time, the British authorities announced the arrest of two British citizens on suspicion of spying for China between 2021–2023. One of them worked as an assistant to a prominent member of the British Parliament. In total, this week saw six individuals charged with spying for China in Europe in three separate cases.
Additionally, as part of a preliminary investigation under the European Union’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation, EU officials raided the local offices of Nuctech in Warsaw and Rotterdam in search of evidence of having received state subsidies from the Chinese government. Nuctech is a Chinese company that manufactures cargo X-ray machines that are installed at most border crossings in Europe as well as in Israel.
It’s difficult to determine the effect that disclosing these espionage scandals will have on the relations between China and the European Union, but it’s clear that this is a significant event that may erode trust between the parties.
This week Chinese President Xi Jinping visited France, Hungary, and Serbia, marking his first visit to Europe in five years. The issue of Chinese espionage and influence efforts in Europe and their effect on China–Europe relations was likely discussed during his meeting with the French president, together with the president of the European Commission, who is known for her tougher stance on China.
ByGSpeech
On April 22, almost a week after the German chancellor’s return from his visit to China, news broke about the arrest of four German citizens suspected of spying for China. In the first case, a husband and wife, as well as another individual, were arrested on suspicion of industrial espionage for the Chinese navy. In the second case, a German of Chinese descent—who served as the parliamentary advisor to the leading candidate for the far-right AfD Party in the upcoming elections to the European Parliament in June—was arrested on charges of espionage for the Chinese government, which included sharing internal information about activities in the European Parliament.
At the same time, the British authorities announced the arrest of two British citizens on suspicion of spying for China between 2021–2023. One of them worked as an assistant to a prominent member of the British Parliament. In total, this week saw six individuals charged with spying for China in Europe in three separate cases.
Additionally, as part of a preliminary investigation under the European Union’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation, EU officials raided the local offices of Nuctech in Warsaw and Rotterdam in search of evidence of having received state subsidies from the Chinese government. Nuctech is a Chinese company that manufactures cargo X-ray machines that are installed at most border crossings in Europe as well as in Israel.
It’s difficult to determine the effect that disclosing these espionage scandals will have on the relations between China and the European Union, but it’s clear that this is a significant event that may erode trust between the parties.
This week Chinese President Xi Jinping visited France, Hungary, and Serbia, marking his first visit to Europe in five years. The issue of Chinese espionage and influence efforts in Europe and their effect on China–Europe relations was likely discussed during his meeting with the French president, together with the president of the European Commission, who is known for her tougher stance on China.