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The arrests came a week after Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled
to China to press Beijing on its support for Russia's wartime
economy and to raise issues of intellectual property theft and
fair market access.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the government was
monitoring what she called a significant threat posed by Chinese
espionage in business, industry and science.
"We look very closely at these risks and threats and have
clearly warned and raised awareness about them so that
protective measures are increased everywhere," she said in a
statement.
In this case, the issue of German innovative technologies that
can be used for military purposes was "particularly sensitive",
she added.
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement: "At the
time of their arrest, the accused were in further negotiations
about research projects that could be particularly useful for
expanding China's maritime combat power."
The Chinese foreign ministry and the Chinese embassy in Berlin
did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Prosecutors identified the suspects as Herwig F. and Ina F, a
married couple who run a company in Dusseldorf, and Thomas R.,
described by prosecutors as an agent for an unidentified
employee of China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).
The couple concluded a cooperation agreement with a German
university through their company, which involved preparing a
study for the MSS employee on machine parts that can be used for
marine engines such as in warships, prosecutors said in a
statement.
The suspects also purchased a special laser from Germany on
behalf of and with payment from the MSS, and exported it to
China without authorization, according to the prosecutors, who
did not specify what the laser could be used for.
The arrests were made on the basis of information gathered by
Germany's domestic intelligence agency, prosecutors said.
Last week, Germany arrested two Russian-German nationals on
suspicion of spying for Russia. They were said to have plotted
sabotage attacks aimed at undermining Germany's military support
for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
(Editing by Matthias WilliamsEditing by Ed Osmond, Peter Graff)
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