German Authorities Arrest Suspected Chinese Spy Working for Far-Right AfD Politician, Chinese, Scandal

German authorities have arrested Jian Guo, a 43-year-old German-Chinese citizen and assistant to far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician Maximilian Krah, for allegedly spying on Chinese dissident groups in Germany on behalf of Chinese intelligence.

Guo reportedly entered Germany as a student and later became a naturalized German citizen. He is accused of posing as a critic of the Chinese government and joining dissident groups to provide information about their activities to Chinese intelligence.

German authorities are also investigating Krah himself over payments he allegedly received from pro-Chinese and pro-Russian individuals or groups. Krah, an MEP with the AfD party, has denied any personal wrongdoing and said he will fire his aide.

The allegations raise questions about Krah's integrity as a politician, as he has been a member of the European Parliament's EU-China friendship Group and has defended China's treatment of the Uyghur minority.

This arrest is part of a series of espionage cases in Germany involving Russian or Chinese intelligence, with a total of six individuals arrested in April 2024 alone. Two German citizens of Russian origin were allegedly assisting Russian intelligence in planning acts of sabotage against military installations in Germany, while three other German citizens were allegedly planning to provide designs of advanced aircraft engines to China, suspects, UK.

Why this matters: The allegations have proved especially embarrassing for the AfD party, as their top candidates for the European elections have been caught up in the investigations. The arrests are seen as a political decision by the German government to send a signal to both allies and adversaries that it is taking security threats seriously.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the spying allegations "extremely serious" and said it would be an "attack from inside on European democracy" if confirmed. AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla said the party would meet with Krah to discuss the "worrying" arrest of his employee.

Despite the political fallout and media coverage of these allegations, the AfD's support in national polls has only slightly decreased, with a significant portion of its core supporters remaining unfazed by the revelations of the party's connections to Western, companies, caught, China, tech, network, Russia.

Key Takeaways

• German-Chinese citizen Jian Guo arrested for spying on Chinese dissidents for China.
• AfD politician Maximilian Krah under investigation for receiving payments from pro-China/Russia groups.
• Part of a series of espionage cases in Germany involving Russian or Chinese intelligence.
• Allegations embarrassing for AfD party, but their support has only slightly decreased.
• German government using arrests to signal it is taking security threats seriously.