German politician not quitting over China spy claims

Maximilian Krah gives a statement, after an aide has been arrested in Germany on suspicion of "especially severe" espionage for China, in Berlin, Germany, April 24, 2024 | REUTERS

BERLIN—A member of the European Parliament for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party said on Wednesday he would not resign after one of his aides was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.

Maximilian Krah told reporters he would sack the member of his staff who was arrested on the spying charges and brought in front of an investigating judge on Tuesday evening. The case has put the AfD on the back foot after it surged to become Germany’s second-most popular party ahead of European and local elections this year.

It has also fed wider anxieties over Europe as a target for Chinese and Russian spying operations. Germany had this week also arrested three people in a separate case about funneling sensitive technology to China for military purposes. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday reports of Chinese espionage in Europe were “hype” and “intended to discredit and suppress China.” —REUTERS

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