MEP’s aide arrested on suspicion of spying for China

An aide to a German far-right MEP has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, German prosecutors said Tuesday, AFP reports.

The incident was a fresh blow to Germany’s far-right AfD party, which has been plagued by a series of scandals, including allegations of ties between some of its members and Russia.

Suspect Jian Guo is accused of passing information about the European Parliament to Chinese intelligence and spying on Chinese opposition activists in Germany, the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

Guo is a German national who has worked as an aide to Krah in Brussels since 2019.

Prosecutors said the suspect “is a member of the Chinese secret service”.

The European Parliament said it had suspended the aide “with immediate effect” over the revelations.