‘China expanding its spy activities’, says German intelligence chief

Berlin: Germany’s domestic intelligence agency head fears that China is expanding its spy activities against Berlin with an increasing focus on political espionage.

“China is developing wide-ranging spying and influence activities. We must be prepared for these to increase in the coming years,” Verfassungsschutz agency chief Thomas Haldenwang told the German paper Welt am Sonntag in an interview published on Saturday, Reuters reported.

He warned that economic dependence on China could be exploited for political influence.

“China is pursuing a long-term strategy to achieve its goals,” Haldenwang said.

“The political leadership is already using its economic power, which also results from intensive relations with the German and European economies, to implement political goals.”

After the war in Ukraine revealed the country’s dependence on Russia, Germany is reassessing its economic relations with countries that have authoritarian regimes.

The Economy Ministry recommended imposing stricter requirements for firms dealing with China, for example by undergoing regular stress tests, according to strategy papers cited by a Reuters report. With agency inputs

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