Maximilian Kula, a member of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD). His supporters were arrested as Chinese spies in July 2023 (Ronnie Hartman/AFP)
- German police arrested parliamentary aide “Jean G.'' Charged with spying for China.
- Western Europe and the United States are increasingly concerned about Russian and Chinese espionage.
- Members of the far-right Alternative for Germany party previously described allegations that their aid was lobbying China as defamatory.
An aide to a member of the European Parliament from the far-right Alternative for Germany party has been arrested in Germany on “particularly serious” charges of spying for China.
Prosecutors named him Jiang G in a statement on Tuesday and accused him of passing information about discussions in the European Union parliament to Chinese intelligence services.
The website of Maximilian Kula, the AfD's front-runner in June's parliamentary elections, lists Guo Jianguo as one of his aides. Mr. Kula learned of Mr. Guo's arrest through the media and said he would stop cooperating with Mr. Guo if the charges were proven.
In recent months, fears over allegations of Chinese spying have grown across Western Europe.
Three German nationals were arrested on Monday on suspicion of transferring technology for military use.
On the same day, two men were indicted in Britain on suspicion of spying for China, one of whom reportedly worked as a parliamentary investigator for a prominent member of the ruling Conservative party.
And on March 25, the United States and Britain accused the Chinese government of cyberespionage against millions of people, including members of Congress, academics, and journalists, as well as companies, including defense contractors.
Prosecutors say the aide lived in Brussels and Dresden, Germany, and spied on Chinese opposition figures in Germany. He was arrested in Dresden on Monday and his apartment was searched.
“He is accused in a particularly serious case of working for a foreign intelligence agency,” the statement said.
Two weeks ago, the Czech newspaper Denik Na and the German magazine Der Spiegel reported that another AfD candidate in the European Parliament elections, German lawmaker Petr Byströn, had received funds from pro-Russian media sites. Bistron denied the allegations, according to the AfD.
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Konstantin von Notz, head of the parliamentary committee that oversees Germany's intelligence services, said these were not just isolated incidents but were indicative of broader problems at the AfD.
“AfD is the party of dictators,” he said. “They make no secret of their disdain for our democracy and the rule of law, which clearly leaves their politicians susceptible to influence and direction from China and Russia.”
An AfD spokesman said Monday's arrest was “very disturbing” and pledged the party would support the investigation.
Threats from China and Russia grow
Interior Minister Nancy Feser said if the charges were proven, it would be an “internal attack on European democracies,” adding that Russia's hybrid threat and Chinese snooping had prompted German security services to launch a counter-espionage operation. He pointed out that it had been significantly strengthened.
A year ago, Mr. Kula denied allegations that his aides were lobbying for China as a slander against him.
“This is a story about a Chinese-born staff member,” he wrote on social media platform X, adding: “He is a German citizen, an AfD member, studied in Dresden and speaks fluent German and English. There are a lot of them.”
The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a briefing that reports about Chinese espionage in Europe were “hype” and “intended to discredit and suppress China.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited China last week to improve economic ties with Germany's biggest trading partner and address differences, including China's support for Russia.