German counterintelligence warned public officials and policymakers that China has been increasing its spying activity in the country in a fresh sign of national security concerns over relations with the Asian superpower.
(Bloomberg) — German counterintelligence warned public officials and policymakers that China has been increasing its spying activity in the country in a fresh sign of national security concerns over relations with the Asian superpower.
China’s leadership has significantly stepped up its efforts to obtain intelligence information in recent years, and “built up a worldwide network of contacts and is constantly striving to expand it,” the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution said in a notice published over the weekend.
The counterintelligence body said that International Department of the Central Committee of China’s Communist party (IDCPC) played a central role in the effort, and urged German officials to be vigilant in their interactions with its representatives.
“Exercise particular caution and restraint” when contacting the IDCPC or its members, the note said, stressing that one should avoid any actions that could be interpreted as cooperation with a foreign secret service under German law.
A separate report published by the German government earlier this month included China on a list of countries “with massive spying activities” in Germany, along with Russia, Iran and Turkey.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s administration is trying to reduce the country’s dependence on China as a major trading partner and is pushing Germany’s biggest companies to make sure their risks in China are manageable as part of broader efforts to reset relations with the government in Beijing.
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