An aide to a member of the European Parliament for the far-right Alternative for Germany has been arrested on suspicion of "especially severe" espionage for China, the latest in a spate of such arrests across Europe.

Berlin

Germany Arrests AfD Staffer on Suspicion of Spying for China

In a significant development, German authorities have arrested an aide to a member of the European Parliament associated with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The arrest, grounded on allegations of espionage for China, underscores the growing concerns over espionage activities within European borders. The aide, identified by prosecutors as Jian Ji, is accused of conveying sensitive information about the European Union legislature's discussions to Chinese intelligence operatives.

Jian Ji, known as Jian Guo on the website of Maximilian Krah, the AfD's leading candidate in the recent election to the assembly, serves as one of Krah's assistants. Krah, informed of Guo's arrest through media reports, stated on social media that any substantiation of the allegations would lead to Guo's immediate termination. Moreover, authorities have indicated that the aide's espionage activities extended to monitoring Chinese opposition figures residing in Germany.

The arrest took place in Dresden, sparking reactions from German officials and international observers. Germany's interior minister labeled the incident as "very serious," emphasizing the potential repercussions on Europe's democratic fabric should the charges be confirmed. In contrast, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry dismissed the espionage claims as unjustified accusations meant to malign and suppress China.

The backdrop to this arrest is an escalating tension over suspected Chinese espionage activities in Western Europe. These suspicions were heightened by the recent arrest of three German nationals for allegedly transferring technology with military applications and the charging of two individuals in Britain with acting as spies for China, one with purported connections to a notable lawmaker in the UK's governing Conservative Party.



Germany arrests AfD staffer on suspicion of spying for China

German police have arrested an aide to a member of the European Parliament for the far-right Alternative for Germany on suspicion of spying for China. Prosecutors named him as Jian Ji in a statement on Tuesday, and accused him of passing information about discussions in the European Union legislature to Chinese intelligence. The website of Maximilian Krah, the AFD's top candidate in June's election to the assembly, lists Jian Guo as one of his assistants. Krah said he learned of Guo's arrest from the media. In a social media post, he said that, if the allegations are true, it would lead to Guo's immediate dismissal. The aide also spied on Chinese opposition figures in Germany, prosecutors said. He was arrested in Dresden on Monday. Germany's interior minister called the case very serious, and said if the charges were proven, it would be an attack on the internal constitution of democracy in Europe. A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry told a briefing that reports of Chinese espionage in Europe were hype and intended to discredit and suppress China. Anxiety about alleged Chinese spying has mounted across Western Europe in recent months. On Monday, three German nationals were arrested on suspicion of handing over technology with military applications. The same day, two men were charged in Britain with spying for China. One was reported to have worked for a prominent lawmaker in the governing Conservative Party.

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