
Germany on Tuesday charged a retired political scientist for allegedly spying for China.
The man who was reportedly working for a think tank allegedly passed information to Chinese intelligence between 2010 and 2019 during and after multinational conferences.
The man identified as Klaus L.,75, was reportedly recruited by Chinese officials during a trip to Shanghai in 2010 when he had gone there for a lecture.
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According to reports, Klaus L. was a spy for Germany's foreign intelligence agency before he retired.
German prosecutors said Klaus L. gathered information from his high-level political contacts as he had built a network over the years.
Klaus L. was allegedly paid by Chinese officials for tips and had met Chinese officers during his trip to the country which was also reportedly paid by China.
He was arrested in 2019 while he was on his way to Munich airport with his wife. The German political scientist was reportedly set to travel to Macau to meet with Chinese intelligence officers.
According to Germany's public broadcaster ARD, Klaus worked for the Hanns Seidel Foundation which is associated with the Christian Social Union (CSU) linked to Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU.
He had reportedly been working for the Hanns Seidel Foundation since the 1980s.
Klaus L. appeared in court today and charged by authorities before a judge.
(With inputs from Agencies)