German authorities arrested a retired political scientist and charged him with spying for the Chinese government, calling him a double agent who used political connections to gather classified intel for the Asian nation for nearly a decade.

The suspect identified as Klaus L., was believed to have been recruited in 2010 during a lecture trip to Shanghai. The incident took place nearly 10 years after joining the think tank. Prosecutors accused the man of providing the sensitive information to China until November 2019. They said he was paid with money and was given trips by Chinese authorities.

The German public broadcaster ARD said that the suspect was also a spy working for the country's foreign intelligence agency, the BND, for about 50 years before he retired. Initially, Klaus L., told the BND about China's attempts to recruit him but did not do so on subsequent attempts, ARD said, citing unnamed sources.

Double Agent for China

The broadcaster also accused Klaus L. of previously working under the Munic-based Hanns Seidel Foundation. The agency was affiliated with the Christian Social Union (CSU), Bavarian sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU.

The foundation alleged that it had been working with authorities since June last year to investigate the matter. A spokesperson for the think tank said that potential misconduct via intelligence activities was unacceptable. He added that the suspect has been retired for nearly a decade and had not been in contact with the foundation since, Reuters reported.

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German authorities said the 75-year-old suspect got his intelligence from high-ranking political contacts he made from the foundation. They said his position allowed him to travel around the world, attending events as a guest lecturer to various countries, including Russia, South Africa, and South Asia.

It was reported that German authorities raided Klaus L.'s residence in Munich and confiscated his computers. They also arrested the man himself when he got home from a trip to Italy. The report document said that the suspect did not deny being involved with China and confessed that he shared his contact with the Chinese to BND, the New York Post reported.

Discussions Between Germany and China

The incident comes amid discussions between Germany and China's defense ministers regarding the situation in the South China Sea. The Berlin ministry said that authorities were planning to deploy a German frigate into the region.

During a Tuesday video call, minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer asked her Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe to uphold a 2016 international arbitration decision. This would have limited China's claims to some sea areas in the contested waters in the region. She also allegedly raised concerns regarding human rights in the Xinjiang province relating to the Uighur minority.

Wei, however, focused on the recent celebration of the Communist Party's centenary. He urged the German authority to "properly manage disagreement" through discussions, a statement by the Chinese defense ministry said. The Chinese official expressed his hopes that Germany would join China in upholding multilateralism, resisting politicizing the coronavirus pandemic, rejecting a zero-sum game, and supporting global justice, the South China Morning Post reported.

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