"We can confirm an investigation into suspected espionage" for Chinese state security bodies, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office told AFP. The other two are reportedly lobbyists employed by a "well-known Germany lobby firm". Prosecutors refused to provide details about the suspects and said no arrests have been made. According to Spiegel, prosecutors accuse the former diplomat and one of the lobbyists of "sharing private and commercial information with the Chinese ministry for state security". "Although there is always much talk about large-scale Chinese spying operations in Germany and Europe, investigators are rarely successful against Beijing's secret services," Spiegel wrote.

Source: The Local January 15, 2020 11:03 UTC