A Chinese national has been arrested at a German naval base, German police said, as quoted by Reuters. Prosecutors are considering charging him with espionage, German public television reported, as quoted by BTA.
On December 9, the man was detained at the Kiel naval base with a camera that was allegedly used to photograph military sites considered a threat to national security, the public broadcaster VDR reported.
“An investigation has been launched against a Chinese citizen based in the seaport“, said Carola Jeschke, spokeswoman for the regional division of the Federal Criminal Police Office in Schleswig-Holstein.
Kiel is a key hub for the German navy, located on the Baltic Sea coast. It is home to one of the German navy's three flotillas and facilities of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, which builds submarines.
The investigation is developing against the backdrop of heightened concerns about threats from China. German security services regularly warn of Chinese intelligence operations that threaten national security.
China remains in the spotlight for its economic progress and its alliance with Russia, despite Western efforts to isolate Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine.
In 2023, the city of Kiel scrapped plans to twin with the Chinese military port of Qingdao. The decision came after researchers warned that such a partnership could cover up espionage.