Germany Arrests Munich Couple Suspected of Spying for China

German authorities have arrested a married couple in Munich on suspicion of spying for China and trying to obtain sensitive research with possible military applications, federal prosecutors said on May 20.

The suspects, German citizens identified only as Xuejun C. and Hua S. in line with the country’s privacy rules, are accused of building contacts with scientists working in fields including aerospace engineering, artificial intelligence, and computer science.

According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the pair allegedly worked on behalf of a Chinese intelligence service.

Investigators say they approached researchers at universities and other institutions over a period of time, sometimes presenting themselves as interpreters or employees linked to the automotive industry.

Some academics were invited to China for paid speaking engagements that appeared to be aimed at civilian audiences, prosecutors said. But authorities now believe that representatives of Chinese state-owned defense companies attended some of those events.

Prosecutors did not say whether any classified information was transferred, although the investigation appears focused on technologies considered strategically sensitive.

Officers from the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office arrested the couple in Munich after warrants were issued by an investigating judge at Germany’s Federal Court of Justice on May 13.

Searches of homes and workplaces were still underway on May 20. The suspects are expected to appear before a judge the same day, when prosecutors will seek pre-trial detention.

The investigation stretches beyond Bavaria. Prosecutors said measures involving potential witnesses were also carried out in several other German states, including Berlin, Brandenburg, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Ten people who are not suspected of crimes are currently being treated as witnesses.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, has been involved in the investigation alongside regional police authorities.

The arrests come as German officials face growing pressure to protect advanced research and industrial know-how from foreign intelligence operations, particularly in sectors with possible military relevance.

Concerns over technology transfer to China have become more pronounced in Berlin over the past several years, although economic ties between the two countries remain extensive.

Germany has previously warned universities and private companies about attempts by foreign actors to gain access to dual-use technologies through academic partnerships and research cooperation.

Chinese officials did not immediately comment on the case. Beijing has repeatedly rejected accusations from Western governments that it conducts espionage operations targeting academic or industrial research.

German prosecutors have released few details beyond the initial allegations, and no universities or individual scientists have been publicly identified so far.