A German far-right lawmaker announced on Wednesday that he will be dismissing his assistant who was arrested on suspicion of spying for China. Despite this development, the lawmaker will continue to be the top candidate for the Alternative for Germany party in the upcoming European Parliament elections.
The assistant, a German national named Jian Guo, was arrested on Monday. Prosecutors allege that Guo, who had been working for the lawmaker since 2019, was passing on information about negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament to a Chinese intelligence service. Additionally, Guo is accused of spying on Chinese dissidents in Germany. Following a court order to keep Guo in custody pending a possible indictment, the lawmaker decided to terminate Guo's employment.
The arrest has brought negative attention to the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which was already under scrutiny for its Russia-friendly stance. The European Parliament elections in Germany are scheduled for June 9.
In a statement, the lawmaker expressed his commitment to resolving the situation and understanding the accusations against his former assistant. He emphasized that his office would investigate the work Guo had been involved in.
Despite the overshadowing of the election campaign by this incident, the lawmaker affirmed that he will remain the top candidate for the party. He acknowledged the need to shift the focus of the campaign back to European issues and away from the controversy surrounding Guo's arrest.
The lawmaker clarified that there was no wrongdoing on his part in relation to the espionage allegations.
News of Guo's arrest coincided with the apprehension of three Germans suspected of spying for China in a separate case. Additionally, British prosecutors announced charges against a former researcher and another individual for spying on behalf of China.
