German authorities say US citizen attempted to give military data to China

Germany’s federal prosecutor has accused an American of attempting to pass confidential US military information to Chinese intelligence, according to Reuters and CBS News.
The suspect, identified as Martin D., was arrested in Frankfurt in November 2024.
In an indictment submitted earlier this month to the Koblenz federal court, he was charged with expressing a willingness to engage in espionage on behalf of a foreign intelligence service.
Specifically, the statement says that the man, about 30 years old, worked for a civilian contractor of the US Department of Defense from 2017 to 2023, and since 2020, he had been stationed at an undisclosed US military facility in Germany.
He is accused of repeatedly contacting Chinese authorities in the summer of 2024 and offering to provide Chinese intelligence with confidential US military information.
According to German media, the suspect apparently did not manage to transfer any data to Chinese authorities before his arrest.
The Koblenz court must now decide whether to proceed to a full trial.
“Due to a pressing suspicion, the accused stands charged with offering himself as an agent to a foreign intelligence service,” the German prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Chinese espionage against the US and beyond
Recently, US military personnel Jinchao Wei in California was charged with spying for China. He reportedly passed classified information about the US Navy to Chinese intelligence, including details about the ship on which he served.
At the same time, his fellow serviceman, Chief Petty Officer Wenhen Zhao, was arrested. In 2024, Zhao was found guilty of spying for China by providing plans for naval exercises in the Pacific, operational orders, and blueprints of a radar station at a base in Okinawa.
It was also reported that Chinese state hackers breached the US Department of the Treasury’s computer security system and stole numerous documents. Beijing denied the allegations, as it generally rejects claims of conducting such cyber operations.
Additionally, Chinese espionage activity has intensified in the Netherlands. Chinese operatives targeted the Dutch semiconductor, aerospace, and shipbuilding industries, aiming to strengthen China’s military capabilities.