German intelligence warns businesses to be on guard against espionage by China

Germany’s domestic spy agency is warning companies to be on guard against industrial espionage by Chinasaying not to be naive or overly reliant, Reuters reported.

The warning from Sinan Selenethe agency’s deputy head, comes after three German nationals were arrested on suspicion of passing technology with military applications to Chinese intelligence.

The case underscores growing concern in Western Europe about Chinese espionage.

Germany is considered particularly at risk due to its strong industrial sector and good business relations with China, its main trading partner. Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited China just 10 days ago with a business delegation.

The government has urged companies to reduce their exposure to China, but critics say many companies are still focusing on short-term profit over long-term strategy.

At an event on China’s influence on the security of German companies, Selene said that Germany is about to move from a very naïve and highly optimistic attitude towards other economic partners to a more realistic, perhaps more sustainable and diversified one.

According to the deputy head, one of the problems is that Chinese firms claim to be completely private, but in fact they are all subordinated to and supported by Chinese state interests. But still, China’s ultimate goal is to become the world’s largest economic, technological and political power by 2049, concludes Sinan Selene.

In Selene’s words, the areas of of particular interest to China include aerospace technology, robotics, electric vehicles and energy-saving technologies, biomedicine and information technology.

The spy agency wants to increasingly monitor Chinese activities in relation to spin-offs of universities and start-ups, given that Beijing seeks to obtain civil-military technology through research cooperation.

Selen said Germany as a whole faces major espionage challenges.

The arrest of two German-Russian nationals last week on suspicion of plotting sabotage attacks, including against US military facilities, pointed to a “new quality” in espionage operations that goes beyond gathering information and influencing society.

Updated

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