Trio arrested in Germany over spying allegations believed to include Thomas Reichenbach, former marketing manager at Hong Kong Trade Development Council, but body is not subject of investigation.

Lack of a level playing field is underlying issue of overcapacity, Berlin’s representative in Beijing said, in a wide-ranging interview.

German authorities last month arrested suspect only named as Thomas R over spying for Beijing, with information trail suggesting man is Thomas Reichenbach.

Patricia Flor says the summons is ‘quite telling’ and Germany does not tolerate spying from any country.

German authorities accuse assistant to Maximilian Krah, the AfD’s top candidate in European elections, on suspicion of working for Chinese intelligence service.

Developments hours apart come amid rising anxiety in some European capitals over the threat of Beijing’s surveillance practices.

German industry debates how to proceed after finding cracks in a once robust and mutually beneficial relationship.

In public remarks in China, chancellor did not throw support behind Brussels’ de-risking agenda and focused primarily on German business interests.

Chinese leader tells the German chancellor that neither side poses a security threat to the other and they should continue to strengthen their economic ties.

Scholz’s trip comes as the European Union is undertaking an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), and as criticism grows in the United States about Chinese overcapacity.

A recent report has found China has overtaken Germany in terms of certain exports, an elevation of status for the Asian juggernaut but a potential source of tension for already fraught bilateral relations.

In an exclusive interview, ambassador Wu Ken says both Berlin and Brussels had greater understanding of China as more in Europe reflect on the ’risks brought by de-risking’.

Japan and the Netherlands have responded coolly to a US push to plug holes in its export controls, arguing that they want to first assess the impact of current curbs, sources say.

In meeting with German foreign policy adviser Jens Plotner, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi calls on Berlin to avoid ‘de-sinicisation’ as Brussels plans to strengthen foreign investment screening and tighten controls on tech exports to rivals.

At the first high-level talks between China and Germany in four years, both sides agree to update a financial cooperation agreement, but trade appears sidelined.

He, a confidant of President Xi Jinping, covers a bigger footprint in the trade portfolio than his predecessor Liu He but is not responsible for tech or manufacturing.

Dialogue between the two countries is recovering, with top-level commitments on the weekend, analyst says.