German Federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday (April 23) the arrest of a Chinese assistant to a European Parliament member, Jian G., on suspicion of spying for the Chinese Communist Party.
Jian G. worked as an assistant to the German MEP Maximilian Krah from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the lead candidate in the June European Parliament elections.
He has been accused by German authorities of acting as a spy for the Chinese intelligence services, passing decision-making information from the European Parliament to the CCP, and aiding in monitoring anti-Communist individuals in Germany. This news has sparked significant attention.
According to the right-wing magazine “European Conservative” in a report from April 2023, senior officials at the European Parliament had expressed concerns about Krah’s integrity and his long-term assistant, Jian G., a year prior.
Jian G., 42 years old, is reported to be not proficient in English or German, actively lobbying for pro-Chinese Communist Party activities, and frequently contacting unidentified Chinese delegation members in the Parliament, causing suspicions among colleagues.
Colleagues familiar with Jian G. and Krah’s employment situation have raised doubts about how Jian G. secured the position given his nationality, lack of language skills, and older age compared to most assistants. They noted that neither Jian G. nor Krah provided any explanation for such unusual circumstances.
AfD member and former parliamentary group leader Nicolaus Fest expressed concerns about Jian G. in an interview with “European Conservative,” stating that rumors and lack of transparency surround Jian G.’s role within the party.
Fest mentioned that Jian G. rarely engages on social media platforms, shows irregular attendance at work, and had publicly shown sympathy towards the Chinese Communist Party on his now-deleted Facebook page.
Internal communications obtained by the European Conservative Party revealed that Jian G. offered German AfD political activists the opportunity to visit China during the 2021 Beijing Winter Olympics and promised relaxed COVID-19 restrictions for VIP guests, among other controversial activities.
Jian G. also advocated for CCP’s Confucius Institutes and displayed a particular interest in private meetings among European Parliament members on Sino-European policies. Colleagues also noted Jian G.’s practice of gifting Chinese vodka during Christmas.
Jian G. previously served as the former managing director of a nearly bankrupt German LED import company specializing in “cross-cultural exchanges between Germany and China” and providing translation services, all linked to a technical university in Dresden believed to be heavily influenced by the CCP.
The explosive arrest of Jian G. has shaken the AfD party in Germany, currently ranking second in national opinion polls. A European Parliament member urged stricter actions against CCP and Russian infiltrators attempting to influence EU democracy.
In September 2019, Krah appointed Jian G. as one of the first assistants in his Brussels office.
In November 2019, Krah visited China, flying business class to Beijing and staying in a luxury hotel for six days, with expenses covered by Chinese tech company Huawei and state-owned enterprises like Sinopec.
German media outlet T-online reported that Jian G. was not a public figure, with limited publicly available personal information.
Reports indicated that Jian G. and Krah crossed paths at the Dresden University of Technology. He was a Chinese citizen until before 2011, when he acquired German citizenship and resided in Krah’s hometown of Dresden for years. After completing his studies, Jian G. became an importer/exporter for a Chinese product company, while Krah operated a law firm and management consulting company in the area.
Krah stated that he had known Jian G. since 2014, offering legal assistance in managing Jian G.’s businesses.
“The accused, Jian G. is an employee of the Chinese (CCP) intelligence agency,” said the German prosecutor in a statement on Tuesday morning. “Since 2019, he has been working for a German MEP in the European Parliament.”
“In January 2024, the defendant repeatedly passed negotiation and decision-making information from the European Parliament to his CCP intelligence clients,” the prosecutor further accused the defendant of monitoring Chinese dissidents in Germany for the CCP.
Former “Deutsche Welle” Chinese Department journalist Su Yutong confirmed Jian G.’s involvement in Germany’s Chinese democratic circles, previously serving as a board member for the German Democracy Alliance and secretary-general for an organization called the “China Republic Party.”
T-online reported that the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution now openly describes the CCP’s International Liaison Department (IDCPC) as a core part of the CCP’s espionage apparatus, emphasizing its role in acquiring high-quality political information and influencing foreign decision-making processes.
Based on a security alert issued to all German politicians and government departments by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in July 2023, members of the IDCPC are known to engage in secret activities.
The nature of Jian G.’s relationship with the IDCPC is currently uncertain.
In a statement on Tuesday morning, European Parliament member Krah denied prior knowledge of his assistant’s alleged spy activities.
“This morning, I learned through the media that my employee, Jian G., has been arrested,” Krah said. “I do not have further information. Engaging in espionage for a foreign government is a serious allegation. If proven true, he will be immediately terminated.”
Later on Tuesday afternoon, Krah refused to resign in the face of media inquiries. “I will not waste energy resigning due to the inappropriate actions of my employee,” he stated.
When previously confronted with concerns and questioning within the party regarding Jian G.’s activities, Krah had also rejected such claims and dismissed them as racial discrimination.