Chinese man arrested at German naval base on suspicion of spying
Photo: A Chinese man taking pictures of military facilities in Germany (Getty Images)
A Chinese man was detained at the naval base in the German city of Kiel. Prosecutors suspect the man of espionage, reports Reuters.
The man was arrested on December 9 with a camera at the naval base. Prosecutors accuse him of photographing military sites.
"We have an open investigation into a Chinese man who was found on the territory of the marine port," said Carola Jeschke, spokesperson for Schlesweig-Holstein's criminal investigation department.
The investigation is taking place amid growing concerns over security threats from China. The booming Chinese automotive industry is becoming an increasing competitor to Germany's economic pillar.
Additionally, Beijing continues its cooperation with the Kremlin even as the West seeks to isolate Moscow due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Kiel, located on the Baltic Sea, is home to one of Germany's three naval flotillas and a dry dock where ThyssenKrupp builds submarines.
In October, Germany took command of NATO's operational group in the Baltic Sea. The group crosses fuel pipelines and data transmission cables, which have been repeatedly cut since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
German intelligence services have repeatedly warned about the growing threat from Chinese intelligence agencies.
In 2023, Kiel canceled plans to establish a sister-city partnership with the Chinese military port of Qingdao. Researchers had warned that such a partnership could serve as a cover for espionage activities.
Chinese espionage activities
According to media reports, the Chinese government has formed an army of 600,000 spies. Western countries lack the resources to counter such a large number of hostile agents.
Earlier, a US military officer was convicted for attempting to pass photographs of US military information to a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for a bribe.
In early 2023, a Chinese spy balloon was detected in US airspace. The balloon flew over the country for nearly a day before being shot down by US fighter jets.
The Pentagon and the CIA stated that the balloon was launched by China and used for espionage purposes.
