The shadow of espionage has fallen over German and European politics once again, as Jian Guo, a former aide to a prominent far-right politician, has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for spying for China. The verdict, delivered by a court in Dresden on September 30, 2025, marks one of the most serious recent cases of foreign intelligence infiltration in the European Union, stirring debate about the influence of foreign powers and the vulnerability of Western democratic institutions.
Jian Guo, a German citizen, worked for five years in Brussels as an aide to Maximilian Krah, a leading figure in the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and a Member of the European Parliament until 2024. According to BBC and the German news agency dpa, Guo was found guilty of gathering confidential information and passing it on to Chinese authorities. His activities, prosecutors alleged, extended from September 2019 until his arrest in April 2024, but suspicions about his ties to Chinese intelligence date back as far as 2002.
The court heard how Guo not only transmitted sensitive documents related to the European Parliament but also monitored Chinese dissidents and opposition figures living in Germany. He was accused of acting as a handler for a Chinese national employed at a logistics company at Leipzig airport. That individual, identified only as Yaqi X., received a suspended jail term after admitting to passing on data about cargo, flights, and passengers—though she denied any knowledge that her actions were part of a wider espionage operation.
Guo, for his part, maintained his innocence throughout the trial. In his final statement last week, he declared, "I did not work for a Chinese intelligence agency and I am innocent." Despite his protests, the Dresden court described the case as particularly grave, highlighting the breadth and persistence of Guo’s alleged activities. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, has dismissed the entire affair as an attempt by European authorities to discredit China, a stance that has become familiar as tensions between Beijing and Western capitals have escalated in recent years.
Guo’s conviction has cast a harsh spotlight on Maximilian Krah, his former employer. Krah, who testified during the proceedings, insisted that he had no knowledge of Guo’s alleged espionage. "Immediately after the arrest I took the necessary action and significantly increased security in my office," Krah told news agency dpa. He learned of the allegations only through media reports, he claimed, and has since attempted to distance himself from the scandal. Yet the fallout has been impossible to contain.
Earlier this year, Krah resigned from his seat in the European Parliament after securing election to the Bundestag in February, representing Saxony. But his troubles have only deepened. In September 2025, the German parliament voted to lift Krah’s parliamentary immunity, a move that enabled prosecutors to search his home and offices under court order. The investigations—led by the Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office—center on allegations of money laundering, corruption, and potential connections to China during his time as an MEP.
Krah has vigorously denied any wrongdoing, describing the accusations as "absurd and politically motivated." This refrain has become a familiar one for the AfD politician, whose career has been dogged by controversy. Just last year, the AfD barred Krah from participating in EU elections after he made remarks in an Italian newspaper suggesting that not all members of the Nazi SS should be considered war criminals. The comments sparked outrage, particularly from Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Identity and Democracy group, who responded by expelling the AfD from her group in the European Parliament in April 2024. Despite the uproar, Krah managed to secure a seat in the German parliament—a testament to the complex and sometimes contradictory dynamics of far-right politics in Europe.
According to BBC, the case has fueled widespread concern about China’s espionage activities within the EU. Jian Guo’s conviction is not only a personal tragedy for the defendant, who insists on his innocence, but also a wake-up call for European institutions struggling to keep pace with the sophisticated tactics of foreign intelligence services. The fact that Guo was able to operate for years within the inner circles of a major European political party has prompted renewed calls for stronger vetting and oversight of parliamentary staff.
For its part, the Chinese government has stuck to its script, rejecting any suggestion of wrongdoing and accusing European authorities of engaging in politically motivated smear campaigns. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has characterized the reports of espionage as "efforts to discredit China," reflecting a broader pattern of denial and deflection that has come to define Beijing’s response to similar scandals around the world.
The broader implications of the case extend far beyond the fates of Guo and Krah. The revelations have reignited debate in Germany and across the EU about the reach of Chinese intelligence and the vulnerabilities of democratic institutions. Lawmakers and security officials are now grappling with uncomfortable questions: How many other operatives might be embedded in key positions? Are European parliaments and governments doing enough to protect themselves against foreign infiltration? And what steps must be taken to restore public trust in the wake of such a high-profile breach?
Meanwhile, the AfD finds itself once again at the center of a storm. The party, which has surged in popularity in parts of eastern Germany, has consistently pushed back against what it sees as establishment attacks and media bias. Yet the espionage scandal, coming on the heels of previous controversies over extremism and historical revisionism, is likely to test the party’s resilience and its appeal to voters who value national security and transparency.
As the investigation into Krah continues, and as Jian Guo begins his prison sentence, the case stands as a stark reminder of the complex interplay between domestic politics, international relations, and the shadowy world of espionage. With tensions between China and the West showing no sign of abating, it seems certain that questions about loyalty, influence, and security will remain at the forefront of Europe’s political agenda for some time to come.
The story of Jian Guo and Maximilian Krah is far from over, but for now, their fates are entwined in a saga that has exposed the vulnerabilities—and the resilience—of Germany’s democratic institutions.
