A man was arrested at a military base in Germany for spying on behalf of China.

A citizen of China was detained at the naval base in the German city of Kiel. The prosecution suspects the man of espionage.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Reuters.

It is noted that the man was apprehended with a camera at the naval base on December 9. The prosecution accuses him of photographing military facilities.

"We have opened an investigation regarding the Chinese national who was found on the premises of the naval port," said Karola Eshke, spokesperson for the Schleswig-Holstein criminal investigations department.

The investigation occurs against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny over security threats from China, as the thriving automotive industry of the Asian nation grows into an increasingly formidable competitor for Germany's economic backbone.

Moreover, Beijing continues its collaboration with the Kremlin even as the West seeks to isolate Moscow due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The city of Kiel, located on the Baltic Sea, is home to one of the three fleets of the German navy and features a dry dock where ThyssenKrupp (TKAG.DE) builds submarines.

In October, Germany took command of a NATO operational group in the Baltic Sea, which is crossed by fuel pipelines and data transmission cables, frequently severed since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

German intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned about the increasing threat posed by Chinese intelligence services.

In 2023, Kiel abandoned plans to establish a sister city partnership with the Chinese military port of Qingdao after researchers warned that it could serve as a cover for espionage.

Chinese Espionage Activities

According to media reports, the Chinese authorities have formed an army of spies numbering 600,000 people. Western countries lack the resources to counter such a large number of hostile elements.

Previously, the U.S. condemned a military officer who, for a bribe, attempted to pass on American military information photographs to a Chinese intelligence officer.

In early 2023, a Chinese balloon was detected in U.S. airspace. It flew over the country for nearly a day before being shot down by American fighter jets.

The Pentagon and the CIA stated that the balloon was launched by China and used for espionage purposes.