German police have arrested an assistant to a member of the European Parliament on suspicion of spying for China. It is believed to be an employee of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Reuters writes about it.
According to the publication, a man named Jian G. is an assistant to the main AfD candidate in the elections to the European Parliament, Maximilian Kra. The man is suspected of passing on information about negotiations and decisions made in the European Parliament.
The investigation claims that the suspect also spied on Chinese opposition figures in Germany. He was already arrested, and the apartment was searched. According to the German media, Jian G. offered the German authorities to be a "freelance informant" about ten years ago, but they refused because of his "unreliability".
German Interior Minister Nancy Feser said that if the charges against the suspect were proven, it would be considered "an attack on European democracy from within." In addition, she added, the one who "employs such an employee" should bear the responsibility.
The assistant of the MEP was arrested a few hours after three German citizens were detained on suspicion of cooperation with Chinaʼs Ministry of State Security. They allegedly transferred technologies that can be used for military purposes.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the news about the detention of alleged Chinese spies in Germany is not true and is being spread to discredit China.