German police arrest couple accused of spying for China on military AI technology
German police arrested a couple in Munich accused of gathering military AI and advanced technology information for China by impersonating translators and business employees to contact German academics. The German Federal Prosecutor's Office stated the suspects worked for Chinese intelligence and lured scientists to China under false pretenses where they met state-owned military enterprise employees.
What happened
German police arrested a couple in Munich on 20 May 2026, accused of collecting information on advanced military technology for China.
The German Federal Prosecutor's Office stated that the couple, named Xuejun C. and Hua S., both German nationals, worked for Chinese intelligence agencies and contacted scholars at German universities and research institutions, particularly in aerospace engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence (AI).
The couple allegedly posed as interpreters or automotive industry employees to attract scientists, offering paid lecture opportunities in China, but the actual audiences were employees of Chinese state-owned military enterprises.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.