Chinese spy claims: Beijing summons German ambassador to protest after 4 arrested on espionage charges
- Patricia Flor says the summons is ‘quite telling’ and she told the Chinese foreign ministry Germany does not tolerate spying from any country
- Beijing describes the accusations as ‘groundless’ and says it has demanded that Berlin stops ‘malicious speculation and anti-China political farce’
Patricia Flor posted on X, formerly Twitter, that she had been summoned by the foreign ministry in Beijing on Thursday “after four Germans were arrested this week for allegedly spying for Chinese secret services” adding that it was a “quite telling move”.
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In her tweet, Flor stressed that Germany did not tolerate spying “regardless of which country it comes from”.
She added: “We protect our democracy and our constitutional state by constitutional means. An independent court will decide on the accusations.”
On Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a scheduled press conference that Beijing “has made solemn representations with Germany over its groundless accusations”.
“We demand that Germany remain alert to attempts to damage bilateral relations, strengthen its restraints, immediately stop malicious speculation and anti-China political farce, and effectively safeguard the stable and healthy development of bilateral relations,” he said.
Earlier this week, German prosecutors announced the arrest of four Germans suspected of spying for China in two separate cases, fuelling European concerns about Beijing’s spying activities amid a wider debate about economic security.
Krah, the AfD’s lead candidate in the European Parliament elections in June, is known for his frequent pro-Chinese statements and appearances in state media.
A statement released by Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office on Tuesday said the suspect “is an employee of a Chinese secret service” and “also spied on Chinese opposition figures in Germany”.
On Monday, three other Germans were arrested on “strong suspicion” of spying for Chinese intelligence, according to German federal prosecutors.
The suspects were accused of collecting sensitive industrial data with military applications for the purpose of “expanding China’s maritime combat power”, according to a statement by the prosecutors.
“We are aware of the significant threat posed by Chinese espionage in business, industry and science,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said after the arrest of the three.
Germany, Britain move in on suspected Chinese spies: ‘tip of the iceberg’
Also on Monday, British authorities charged two men, one of them a former parliamentary researcher, with spying for China.
The Chinese embassy in London described the case as “completely fabricated”, “malicious slander” and “anti-China political manipulation”.
