News DeskThe German government has sounded the alarm about industrial espionage by China after the arrest of three people accused of spying for Beijing and trying to obtain sensitive technology with potential military uses.
The arrests, including of an employee of a German lawmaker charged with repeatedly passing information to Chinese intelligence from inside the European Parliament, highlight what Western officials and security experts describe as an extensive Chinese spy network. They accuse it of aiming to undermine liberal democracies worldwide, though Beijing denies such allegations.
“If it is confirmed that there was spying for Chinese intelligence from inside the European Parliament, then it is an attack from inside on European democracy,” said Nancy Faeser, Germany’s interior minister, describing the suspected espionage as “extremely serious.”
Beyond Germany, the Chinese networks are accused of using agents, technical tools like social media apps, and other means to try to gain insights into cutting-edge technologies, spread misinformation and sow discord in rival nations, and project an inflated image of China’s power, the Western officials and experts say. Beijing rejects these claims.
Two people were arraigned last month in a London court on charges of spying for China and violating Britain’s Official Secrets Act, including a parliamentary researcher who worked with senior Conservative lawmakers.
In the United States, the Senate has given an ultimatum to the Chinese social media app TikTok – either divest from its Chinese ownership within a year or face a nationwide ban over national security risks like potential data harvesting and spread of misinformation.
Indian officials previously banned TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps in 2020 after a military clash with China, saying they were “prejudicial” to India’s sovereignty and security.
U.S. officials have accused China of using fake accounts to plant divisive messages on social media during racial justice protests in 2020. Washington has also banned the Chinese tech giant Huawei, which Britain and some European nations have restricted over espionage fears that China dismisses.
Beijing is accused further seeking to sway global opinion through films, universities and cultural organizations that critics say spread propaganda about China’s authoritarian governance model, overlooking issues like human rights abuses, charges the Chinese government denies.
On the military front, China is establishing intelligence-gathering facilities in nations like Myanmar and Cuba to monitor rivals like India and the United States, according to reports. The incident this year involving a Chinese spy balloon over U.S. airspace underscored Beijing’s escalating intelligence operations, U.S. officials say, an accusation China denies.
Chinese officials reject allegations of undermining democracies or industrial espionage, accusing the West of trying to suppress China’s rise as a world power. But the growing number of arrests and actions by Western governments highlights their level of concern over Beijing’s clandestine activities, though China insists it adheres to international norms.
