China Accused of Using Academic Exchanges to Target German Researchers - Vision Times
New details have emerged in Germany’s “Chinese-German couple espionage case. ” An investigation by the German nonprofit newsroomCORRECTIVfound that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) allegedly approached. . .
New details have emerged in Germany’s “Chinese-German couple espionage case. ” An investigation by the German nonprofit newsroomCORRECTIVfound that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) allegedly approached leading German researchers under the guise of academic exchanges and cooperation invitations, arranging trips to China that ultimately brought some academics into contact with representatives of the country’s defense industry. In May, German police arrested a Chinese-German couple in Munich on suspicion of conducting espionage activities for the CCP. Both are German citizens. Police accused them of attempting to collect information on advanced technologies with potential military applications. Under German privacy laws, only partial versions of their names have been released: Xuejun C. and Hua S. CORRECTIV reported that Hua S. had long used the alias “Anja” while acting as an intermediary and sending emails to professors at German universities. The emails appeared to contain ordinary cooperation proposals, such as invitations to give lectures in China, participate in academic exchanges, or provide technical guidance, and did not appear overtly suspicious. However, after the academics arrived in China, they reportedly found themselves meeting with individuals connected to defense companies and were required to deliver technical briefings and professional presentations. What had originally been described as “academic exchange” ultimately became the sharing of specialized knowledge in sensitive fields. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERFor the best of our weekly content！There is something wrong, please try again laterSuccessYou are now signed up for our newsletterSuccessCheck your email to complete sign upThe investigation also found that “Anja” offered highly attractive terms, including payments of more than 10,000 euros and fully funded trips to China lasting several weeks, with airfare, accommodation, and meals covered by the organizers. The purported organizer was China’s State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, or SAFEA. Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or BfV, and the U. S. Federal Bureau of Investigation have previously warned that such talent recruitment programs have long been used by the CCP to approach overseas researchers, obtain sensitive technologies, and expand its influence. Similar cases have occurred before. One of the most prominent involved former Northrop engineer Noshir Gowadia, who helped develop the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber’s propulsion and low-observable technologies. According to theU. S. Department of Justice,Gowadia was convicted in 2010 of communicating classified national defense information to the People’s Republic of China and illegally exporting military technical data after assisting China in developing a stealthy cruise missile exhaust system. In January 2011, he was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison. In the German case, investigators found that one of the couple’s main areas of interest involved advanced technologies with military applications, including military reconnaissance drones. READ MORE:Chinese Canadian Woman Arrested in Belgium on Suspicion of Spying at NATO HeadquartersBeijing Installs a Former Spy Official as Political Watchdog Inside Its Foreign MinistryRecruitment network targeted German academicsAuthorities currently know of nine academics from eight German universities who accepted related invitations. All have now been listed as witnesses in the case. The investigation also indicated that the couple was connected to a recruitment network made up of associations and front companies. In addition to generous payments, the network allegedly offered benefits including luxury housing, dedicated interpreters, and preferential school admission for researchers’ children. A person familiar with security issues at German universities said such invitations are not uncommon and that many prominent professors receive similar emails almost every day. According to CORRECTIV, the Association of Chinese Automotive Engineers in Germany, or VECA, was registered in Berlin in 2011 and formally dissolved in 2021. However, investigators found that the organization apparently remained active: its board appeared under the VECA name at a conference in China in 2024, and the broader network helped organize an online event in 2025. In response to the growing security risks, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research said it plans to strengthen security training and advisory services for researchers beginning in 2027, with the aim of increasing awareness of espionage and technological infiltration risks.