Sudden Surge of Chinese Spies Across Europe

This week, two men from different countries and backgrounds have found themselves in the crosshairs of accusations of espionage against China. One is a young British man known for his hawkish views on China, who previously worked as an aide to a prominent member of the British Parliament. The other is a German citizen of Chinese descent who was an assistant to a member of the European Parliament representing Germany's far right.

This week, six cases—four in Germany and two in Britain—have seen individuals in Europe charged with spying for China. These incidents come amid growing tensions between Western nations and Beijing over issues such as trade, national security, and geopolitical frictions.

The charges serve as stark reminders that Europe’s once-warm relationship with Beijing has turned frosty. They also underscore the increasing pushback against perceived malign Chinese influence in politics and commerce across Europe.

Dutch and Polish authorities raided the offices of a Chinese security equipment supplier on Wednesday shortly after British and German officials made these announcements, amid allegations of unfair trading practices. The EU's executive arm, using new anti-foreign subsidy laws targeting Chinese companies, endorsed this action.

In April, Sweden expelled a long-residing Chinese journalist, citing concerns about national security—the latest sign that patience with China is waning across Europe. Ivana Karaskova, a Czech researcher at Prague’s Association for International Affairs, suggests there has been a shift from denial to acceptance regarding threats posed by alleged covert operations conducted by Beijing aimed at influencing democratic processes within European nations.

But it seems not all bridges have been burned yet; Hungary remains one of several steadfast allies to Beijing within EU borders, even as others move towards adopting less naïve views concerning their interactions with China.

China experts suggest that given the current circumstances surrounding Sino-European relations, these recent flurry of charges reflect more about heightened vigilance from European nations than any increase in Beijing's own espionage activities.

Accordingly, Martin Thorley, a British China expert, relates the current situation to that of a decade ago, when London heralded a “golden era” of Sino-British friendship under David Cameron’s premiership. According to him, this period made it easier for Beijing to influence politicians and businesspeople across Britain. However, Mr. Cameron—now Britain’s foreign secretary—has become an outspoken critic of China; his change in stance reflects broader shifts within Europe regarding attitudes towards Beijing.

For long, countries such as Germany helped counterbalance what Beijing denounced as "anti-China hype" from Washington. But with recent developments indicating increased awareness and action against potential threats from Chinese espionage and influence operations, it seems the landscape is changing fast.

These incidents underscore how Europe's relationship with China is increasingly fraught and complex. As more European nations begin taking decisive steps to defend their interests vis-à-vis China, it will be interesting to see how these geopolitical dynamics evolve over time.