A former assistant to a far-right member of the European Parliament has gone on trial accused of spying for China.
Jian G worked in the parliamentary office of Maximilian Krah, a member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, who sat in the European Parliament between 2019 and 2025.
Prosecutors claim Mr G, whose full name has not been released in line with Germany’s privacy laws, had been working for a Chinese secret service since 2002.
The German national is accused of gathering intelligence and confidential documents to pass on to Chinese officials while working for Mr Krah between September 2019 and April 2024.
A second defendant, Chinese national Jaqi X, is accused of assisting him, having worked for a logistics company at Leipzig Airport, where she is alleged to have provided data on the transportation of defence goods, flights, freight, and passengers.
Maximilian Krah in Berlin in February. Pic: Reuters
Beijing has denied accusations of espionage in Europe.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond on Tuesday to a Reuters request for comment on the German case.
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Krah is a controversial figure, even within his own party.
He faces his own investigation of money laundering and bribery by China during his time in the European Parliament. He rejects the claims.
The trial, at Dresden Court, is due to run until September.
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