Three German citizens were arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for China and illegally transferring technology with potential military uses. The suspects are accused of acting for Chinese intelligence since before June 2022 and violating German export laws by exporting a special laser without permission. One of the suspects, identified as Thomas R., allegedly acted as an agent for an employee of China’s Ministry of State Security, obtaining information on military technologies in Germany. Federal prosecutors stated that Thomas R. used a couple who owned a company in Duesseldorf, named Herwig F. and Ina F., to contact and work with German researchers. They allegedly set up a research transfer agreement with an unidentified German university to draw up a study for a Chinese partner on the technology of machine parts that could be used for powerful ship engines.
At the time of the arrests, the suspects were in negotiations on further research projects that could be useful for expanding China’s naval combat strength. They also procured a special laser with funding from the Ministry of State Security and exported it to China without permission, despite it being classified as a “dual-use” instrument under EU rules. The suspects’ homes and offices were searched after their arrests in Duesseldorf and in Bad Homburg, near Frankfurt. The suspects’ activities were discovered a week after a three-day visit to China by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with German officials stating that the timing of the arrests was not influenced by the visit.
German officials did not confirm whether the government was aware of the case at the time but emphasized that the trip to China had not played a role in the timing of the arrests. In a strategy for relations with China released last year, the German government acknowledged a systemic rivalry with China and highlighted the need to reduce risks of economic dependency while working with Beijing on challenges such as climate change and maintaining trade ties. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser described the arrests as a “great success for our counterespionage” and stressed the significant danger posed by Chinese espionage in business, industry, and science. She also expressed the government’s commitment to monitoring and addressing these risks, encouraging the implementation of protective measures to enhance security.
The suspects’ activities included procuring information on military technologies in Germany for Chinese intelligence, as well as transferring technology with potential military uses. They were accused of violating German export laws by illegally exporting a special laser to China without permission, despite it being classified as a “dual-use” instrument. The suspects, one of whom acted as an agent for an employee of China’s Ministry of State Security, used a company in Duesseldorf to contact and work with German researchers to further their agenda. They were in negotiations on additional research projects that could benefit China’s naval combat strength at the time of their arrests.
The German government’s stance on relations with China acknowledges a systemic rivalry with the Asian power and emphasizes the need to reduce risks of economic dependency while collaborating on global challenges and maintaining trade ties. The government is committed to countering all espionage and sabotage activities by Chinese intelligence services and state-controlled groups, whether in or directed against Germany. The arrests were described as a significant success for counterespionage efforts, highlighting the threats posed by Chinese espionage in various sectors. The government has emphasized the importance of vigilance and implementing protective measures to address these risks effectively.
