Three suspected Chinese spies arrested in Germany — caught stealing sensitive tech secrets

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Three people suspected of stealing "innovative technologies for military use" for China have been arrested in Germany. Prosecutors say the individuals, referred to as Thomas R, Herwig F, and Ina F, acted for Chinese intelligence from around June 2022 onwards via a company in Dusseldorf. One of the individuals, Thomas R, was allegedly an agent for an employee of China's Ministry of State Security, according to an ABC News report.

These arrests come just a week after German Chancellor Olaf Sholz visited China. During his three-day visit, Sholz boldly pressed China on topics such as support for the wartime Russian economy, intellectual property theft, and fair market access.

Prosecutors seek to apply the force of various laws to set an example of these three suspects. Of course, espionage and IP theft are illegal, but there are other specific EU laws regarding the export of dual-use goods (which have both civilian and military applications) to countries like China and Russia. One of the legal lines that has been crossed seems to be the export of a military-applicable laser to China. Moreover, technology to enhance the performance of naval vessels may have been shared with the Chinese.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the arrests a "great success for our counterintelligence.” Faeser stressed that the innovative German technologies stolen by the Chinese agents were useful for military purposes and “particularly sensitive.” At the time of their arrest, the three suspects were in negotiations with the Chinese to pass on yet more militarily sensitive research, according to reports.

The flags of China and Russia — (Image credit: Skopp (China), public domain (Russia))

Germany continues to be vigilant regarding espionage, which may be reassuring to big semiconductor players like Intel and TSMC, who have advanced plans to set up facilities in the country. For example, Faeser says that the government is keeping an eye on risks and threats, and it has warned and sensitized key people to be aware of protective measures. Today’s news also comes just two days after two alleged Russian spies were arrested in Germany. The Russian agents were suspected of planning to sabotage military aid to Ukraine.

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.