On Wednesday, May 20th German police arrested a married couple in Munich on suspicion of spying for a Chinese intelligence agency.
The German nationals, identified as Xuejun C. and Hua S., are accused of illegally gathering information on advanced technologies with potential military applications, specifically focusing on aerospace engineering, computer science, and artificial intelligence.
By posing as interpreters or automotive industry employees, the couple are alleged to have infiltrated German universities and research institutions to build relationships with prominent academics.
According to federal prosecutors, the pair enticed several scientists to travel to China under the false pretense of delivering paid lectures to civilian audiences. In reality, the researchers ended up presenting their work directly to representatives of Chinese state-owned arms manufacturers.
In addition to the arrests, authorities searched the couple’s properties and questioned ten potential witnesses across Berlin, Munich, and other locations.
This incident adds to a growing list of Chinese espionage cases in Germany, including the recent imprisonment of a U.S. civilian contractor and a former aide to politician Maximilian Krah.
In light of these events, German officials—including Green MP Konstantin von Notz—are urgently warning the West against underestimating the aggressive intelligence-gathering tactics employed by China.
