German federal prosecutors have arrested a married couple in Munich on suspicion of conducting espionage for a Chinese intelligence service, targeting scientists at universities and research institutions across the country. The pair, identified as Xuejun C. and Hua S., are both German citizens. Their arrests were carried out by the Bavarian State Criminal Investigation Office in coordination with the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany's domestic intelligence agency.
According to the Federal Public Prosecutor's office, based in Karlsruhe, the suspects sought to obtain scientific information with potential military applications, focusing particularly on academics specialising in aerospace engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence. To gain access, the couple reportedly posed at various times as interpreters or as employees of an automobile manufacturer. In some cases, German scientists were lured to China under the pretence of delivering paid lectures to civilian audiences — when in fact the talks were given before employees of state-owned defence companies.
Simultaneously with the arrests in Munich, investigators searched the couple's homes and workplaces, while witness interviews were conducted across six German states, including Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Those questioned as witnesses are not themselves under suspicion. The two suspects were due to appear before an investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice, who would formally present them with the arrest warrants and rule on pre-trial detention.
The case is the latest in a series of Chinese espionage investigations in Germany. In a separate recent case, a staff member linked to the far-right AfD party received a prison sentence of more than four years for spying for China, and three other Germans were charged in connection with alleged attempts to pass information about marine technology and laser systems to Beijing.
The arrests underscore growing concern among Western governments about the systematic targeting of academic and research institutions by foreign intelligence services. Germany, home to world-leading research in engineering and applied sciences, has become a particular focus, with security officials warning that dual-use technologies — innovations with both civilian and military applications — are a prime target for state-sponsored espionage.