German authorities arrested a Chinese-German couple in Munich in May on suspicion of conducting espionage activities on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Identified only as Xuejun C. and Hua S. under German privacy laws, the pair are accused of attempting to obtain advanced technologies with potential military applications. According to German investigative outlet CORRECTIV, Hua S., using the alias “Anja,” allegedly recruited German academics to travel to China under the guise of academic exchanges, where they were instead arranged to give presentations and briefings to personnel from China’s defense industry.
According to recruitment emails obtained by CORRECTIV, the academics were offered five-figure euro honoraria and all-expenses-paid trips to China sponsored by China’s State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEFA). SAFEA oversees China’s overseas talent recruitment programs, which Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have long identified as potential channels for intelligence collection and technology transfer.
The investigation found that the couple sought expertise in technologies with military applications, including military reconnaissance drones. At least nine academics from eight German universities were reportedly recruited, with some now listed as witnesses in the criminal proceedings. Investigators also allege that the couple operated through a broader network of front organizations and intermediary companies that attracted researchers with generous financial incentives, luxury vehicles, customized housing in China, translation services, and preferential school enrollment for their children.
Source: Epoch Times, July 31, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/7/30/n14820500.htm