A US contractor accused of providing military secrets to Beijing has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison by a German court in the western city of Koblenz. This case has once again raised concerns about Chinese espionage infiltration in the US and Europe.
The defendant, Martin D., was found guilty of attempting to provide sensitive military information to the Chinese intelligence agency. According to the indictment obtained by the French news agency, Martin D. worked as a civilian contractor for the US Department of Defense (DoD) from 2017 to 2023, and was stationed in Germany since at least 2020.
Prosecutors stated that the man was not passively approached but actively contacted Chinese government agencies multiple times in 2024 through channels such as email, expressing willingness to pass on sensitive US military information. The court ultimately ruled that he had committed the crimes of “engaging in espionage activities for a foreign intelligence agency” and “violating professional secrecy”.
While some parts of the trial were held behind closed doors due to involving sensitive information, reports from “Der Spiegel” revealed that Martin D. used his position in the US military logistics and procurement department to access blueprints, personnel rosters, and technical maintenance manuals of US military facilities, including Ramstein Air Base.
According to Reuters, German federal prosecutors stated that due to early intervention and electronic monitoring by the German counter-espionage agency (BfV), Martin D. was arrested in Frankfurt in November 2024 before formally delivering core confidential documents. This also contributed to the court’s decision to sentence him to two years and eight months for “attempted crime”.
This case comes at a time when Germany is highly vigilant against foreign infiltration. Currently, there are approximately 35,000 US troops stationed in Germany, with around 11,000 civilian employees.
By increasing pressure on Beijing’s infiltration activities, Berlin is focusing on tightening security checks on civilian employees at US military bases overseas. In addition to this case, one of the most prominent recent Chinese espionage cases in Germany involved the former assistant of right-wing politician Maximilian Krah, Jian Guo, who was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison in September 2025.
According to reports from “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (FAZ) and the French news agency, this verdict has prompted the US and Germany to reassess the security background check processes for civilian contractors at US military bases abroad. Authorities are working on measures to strengthen the defense capabilities of outsourcing contractors against China’s “active recruitment” strategies.