Germany: US citizen arrested on charges of ‘spying’ for China

The accused reportedly contacted Chinese officials this year and offered them "sensitive information about the US military," the report stated citing the prosecutors.

Frankfurt: A United States citizen was arrested in Frankfurt, Germany for allegedly trying to offer US military intelligence to China, according to a report by Al Jazeera. According to the Office of the Federal Prosecutor, the accused worked for the US forces “until recently” and an investigation is being held “in close coordination” with German intelligence agencies.

The accused reportedly contacted Chinese officials this year and offered them “sensitive information about the US military,” the report stated citing the prosecutors. Both the United States and China, however, have not responded to the arrest as of yet.

Notably, Berlin has seen an uptick in suspected spying cases linked to Russia since the Ukraine war and to China as its ties with Beijing are under growing pressure. Last month, Germany warned of an increased risk of espionage from Beijing and tightened security checks for staff in sensitive areas of government and business.

In a separate incident from April, three Germans were arrested on suspicion of working to hand over technology that could bolster the Chinese navy. In the same month, a European Union staffer of a far-right German politician was accused of working with Chinese intelligence. Concerns over alleged Chinese spying have mounted across the West as well in recent months, according to Al Jazeera.

In March, the US and Britain accused Beijing of cyberespionage against millions of people, including lawmakers, academics and journalists, as well as companies such as defence contractors