KOBLENZ: A US citizen went on trial in Germany on Wednesday accused of offering sensitive information to Chinese intelligence services.
The suspect, identified only as Martin D., worked for a US Defense Department contractor between 2017 and 2023, including at a US military base in Germany from at least 2020.
Prosecutors told the Koblenz court that in 2024, Martin D. allegedly contacted Chinese government agencies multiple times and offered to pass on sensitive US military information.
He was arrested in Frankfurt in November 2024 and formally charged in August.
The case comes amid growing concerns about espionage activities in Germany, particularly involving China and Russia.
Berlin has seen an increase in suspected spying cases linked to both countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In October, a German-Russian national received a six-year prison sentence for spying for Moscow and plotting sabotage acts against Germany’s support for Ukraine.
In September, a former aide to German far-right lawmaker Maximilian Krah was jailed for four years and nine months on Chinese spying charges.
A Dresden court found Jian Guo guilty of acting as an agent for a Chinese intelligence service while working for Krah, a member of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party.
