In the European Parliament, Chinese Spies? German MEP’s Assistance Arrested on Espionage Suspicion

German authorities announced on Tuesday that an assistant to a far-right lawmaker in Germany participating in the European Union elections in June has been detained on suspicion of espionage for China.

The guy, identified only as Jian G., is charged by federal prosecutors in a statement of spying on Chinese opposition activists in Germany and of providing Chinese intelligence services with information on talks at the European Parliament.

Berlin demanded a comprehensive inquiry on Tuesday, calling claims that a far-right German MEP’s assistant was spying for China “very serious.”

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said, “If it is confirmed that spying for China is occurring from the European parliament, then that is an attack on European democracy from within.”

Following the arrest of the German MEP’s assistant, China has retaliated against the espionage accusation.

Jian Guo is identified as MEP Maximilian Krah’s approved assistant on the European Parliament website. Krah is the front-runner for the far-right AfD party in the upcoming elections for the whole EU.

He is a citizen of Germany and has allegedly been Krah’s assistant in Brussels since 2019.

According to the prosecution, the suspect “is an employee of a Chinese secret service.”

“In January 2024, the defendant provided his intelligence service client with several updates about discussions and decisions made in the European Parliament.

“He also worked for the intelligence service, eavesdropping on Chinese opposition members in Germany.”

They also said that the suspect’s residences were examined after his detention on Monday in Dresden, a city in eastern Germany.

The accused, according to stations ARD, RBB, and SWR, who first reported on the arrest, resides in both Dresden and Brussels.

The accusations were described as “very disturbing” by the AfD.

Party spokesperson Michael Pfalzgraf issued a statement saying, “As we have no further information on the case, we must wait for further investigations by federal prosecutors.”

The case is probably going to make Westerners even more concerned about China’s relentless spying.

This comes after Germany detained three German citizens on Monday on suspicion of giving China access to top-secret marine technology in order to spy on the country.

Chinese official news outlet Xinhua said that China’s embassy in Berlin “firmly” denied the accusations.

German media reports claim there is no connection between the two occurrences.

Two individuals were accused on Monday in Britain of giving China “articles, notes, documents or information” between 2021 and the previous year.

The males were identified by police as Christopher Berry, 32, and Christopher Cash, 29, former researchers at the UK parliament.