On April 15, the Swiss French-language national broadcaster RTS published a report titled “Leysin Hotel School Student Suspected of Being a Chinese Spy,” highlighting a case of Chinese espionage involving a student. The student, named David W, purchased an old hotel near a Swiss military airport, claiming his parents run the establishment. The airport is set to receive American-made F-35 fighter jets, and currently, David, along with his parents, are missing. Following the incident, the Swiss military authorities have taken this matter very seriously.
According to the report, David, a Chinese student studying at a hotel school in Leysin, has been accused of acting as a spy for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He bought a hotel near the Meiringen military airport. The RTS program “Focus” conducted an investigation into this case.
On July 26, 2023, police conducted a search at the Rössli Hotel in Unterbach, Bern Canton. Plainclothes police officers searched the hotel and made arrests. The German-language newspaper “Tages-Anzeiger” revealed the police action and suspicions of espionage activities. Reportedly, the owner of the hotel is a special agent of the Chinese intelligence department named David W. This young man and his parents, all from Beijing, managed the Rössli Hotel together.
The Rössli Hotel purchased by David in 2018 lacked appeal, was aging, and located away from tourist routes. Situated on the edge of the Meiringen military airport, the hotel provided a direct view of the aircraft take-off runway, making it an ideal location for espionage activities. Military aircraft flew within 50 meters of the hotel.
In 2018, the American F-35 fighter jets conducted multiple test flights at Meiringen. The airport is scheduled to receive F-35 fighter jets in 2027, with Switzerland having ordered 36. This aircraft has raised concerns for the United States’ biggest competitor, the CCP.
Consequently, the CCP is making every effort to obtain information on the F-35. In recent years, the United States has uncovered numerous instances of Chinese espionage activities. American media reported over a hundred cases of Chinese citizens trespassing on military airfields. They often disguised themselves as tourists or businessmen, sometimes with equipped drones.
At Meiringen airport, authorities did not provide detailed information on the Swiss case. As of now, it is known that the Bern Canton police intervened on July 26, 2023. During the intervention, one person was temporarily arrested, and a second person was taken to the police station for further investigation. After the investigation, both individuals were released.
Authorities did not mention espionage activities, resolving the case with a simple criminal order. David and his parents were fined thousands of Swiss francs and convicted of illegal residence in Switzerland, operating a hotel-restaurant without a license, and other charges.
Since the incident, the Swiss military has stepped up vigilance. At Meiringen, the authorities monitored the hotel to prevent unauthorized access. At the request of the Military Police Patrol, the “Focus” team from RTS had to leave the scene. The hotel has since been closed. David remains a mysterious figure, with his social media presence deleted, photos removed, and most of his friends deleted.
Ariane Knüsel, a historian specializing in Sino-Western relations and one of Europe’s top experts in the field of espionage, has been extensively researching China’s secret files in Switzerland. Knüsel stated, “We often see espionage cases involving ordinary Chinese citizens. They are seldom professionals. The Chinese government asks them to lend a hand, do a favor.”
“The CCP uses all means to have Chinese citizens gather information. To persuade them to engage in espionage, officials often offer incentives but also threaten their families back in China,” she said.
On April 26, 2019, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated, “The CCP leads the way in using a whole-of-society approach to steal innovation from a variety of businesses, universities, and organizations. It utilizes Chinese intelligence agencies, state-owned enterprises, so-called private companies on the surface, graduate students and researchers, as well as various individuals working on behalf of China to achieve this goal.”
The collaboration between the CCP’s Ministry of State Security and the Chinese military has aided in stealing detailed designs of numerous U.S. military hardware, from fighter jets to ground vehicles and robots. Former NSA director Keith Alexander previously referred to this as the “largest wealth transfer in history.”
In June 2014, Vancouver-based Chinese immigrant Su Bin was arrested by the FBI on charges of orchestrating the theft of jet fighter commercial secrets from a Pentagon contractor. FBI court statements revealed that Su Bin and his group aimed to steal secrets related to the C-17 Globemaster transport plane, F-22 Raptor fighter jet, and F-35 prototype already considered for purchase by Canada and other allies.
On July 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice disclosed that Singaporean Chinese Jun Wei Yeo admitted to secretly collecting intelligence for the CCP in the United States. He successfully recruited a civilian employee involved in the F-35 program at the U.S. Air Force, a State Department official, and a Pentagon officer to provide intelligence.