Germany’s political landscape has been rocked by the conviction of Jian Guo, a former aide to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, who was sentenced on September 30, 2025, to four years and nine months in prison for spying on behalf of China. The verdict, handed down by the Higher Regional Court in Dresden, has ignited fierce debate about the extent of Chinese espionage in Europe, the vulnerability of democratic institutions, and the controversial ties between some AfD figures and foreign powers.
Guo, a German national, worked in the parliamentary office of Maximilian Krah—a prominent AfD lawmaker—between 2019 and 2024. During this time, according to court findings reported by Reuters and the BBC, Guo systematically passed sensitive information about negotiations and decisions within the European Parliament to Chinese intelligence services. His activities extended well beyond the halls of Brussels: he also spied on Chinese dissidents living in Germany and across Europe, with his actions reportedly leading to repercussions for their families back in China.
Prosecutors detailed how Guo’s espionage was not a solitary effort. He was aided by Yaqi X., a woman who worked for a logistics company at Leipzig/Halle airport. Utilizing her position, Yaqi X. obtained information about the transport of military equipment and individuals connected to a German arms company. This data was then relayed to Guo, who acted as her handler. The court sentenced Yaqi X. to one year and nine months in prison, suspended on probation for three years, after she admitted to passing on the information but denied knowledge of its role in espionage.
The case has not only spotlighted the reach of Chinese intelligence but also cast a shadow over the AfD, Germany’s surging far-right party. Maximilian Krah, the lawmaker at the center of the storm, testified in court that he was unaware of Guo’s clandestine activities. He stated that all staff in his office—including Guo—had access to his personal account, which included emails, appointments, and sensitive documents. After Guo’s arrest, Krah claimed to have “significantly tightened security in his office,” as he wrote on the social media platform X, expressing hope for more clarity once the court’s written reasoning is published.
Yet, the controversy surrounding Krah goes beyond the actions of a single aide. Earlier in 2025, Germany’s parliament lifted Krah’s immunity as a lawmaker, a procedural step required for authorities to pursue investigations into his alleged connections with China, as well as accusations of bribery and money laundering linked to Chinese payments. Authorities subsequently searched his home and offices under court order. Krah has consistently denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated and characterizing previous lobbying accusations as “slander.”
The timing of the espionage revelations was particularly sensitive. As Reuters noted, the charges surfaced while Krah was campaigning as the AfD’s top candidate for the European Parliament, raising suspicions among some AfD supporters that the case was an attempt to discredit both the politician and the party ahead of key elections. The fallout was immediate: AfD’s poll numbers dipped slightly, and after Krah won a seat in the European Parliament, he was excluded from the party’s delegation by fellow AfD Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) following this and other controversies. Not one to be sidelined, Krah then ran for—and won—a seat in the German Bundestag, joining a new cohort of AfD politicians after the party’s historic second-place finish in the national election.
The AfD’s swift rise has been accompanied by mounting scrutiny over its members’ foreign ties. The espionage case has amplified longstanding concerns about the party’s perceived pro-China and pro-Russia stances. According to reporting by Reuters, some senior AfD figures have faced questions about their openness to influence from authoritarian regimes, a charge the party’s leadership has repeatedly denied. Nevertheless, the steady drumbeat of allegations has fueled debate across the political spectrum about the integrity of Germany’s democratic institutions and the risks posed by foreign interference.
For their part, Chinese officials have rejected all accusations of espionage, with China’s foreign ministry last year dismissing European reports as “hyping up with an aim to smear and suppress China.” The Chinese embassy in Germany did not respond to requests for comment following the verdict. Meanwhile, the case has heightened anxieties among Germany’s Chinese dissident community, many of whom have long feared surveillance and reprisals by Beijing’s agents abroad.
The trial also revealed the breadth and longevity of Guo’s activities. According to the Dresden court’s spokeswoman, Guo had been spying on Chinese dissidents and German military shipments for over two decades, passing information not only about parliamentary activities but also about the far-right AfD itself to Chinese intelligence. The court heard how his work had “led to consequences for their families back in China,” underscoring the human cost of international espionage.
The German government has responded to the case with renewed calls for vigilance. Political leaders from across the spectrum have urged tighter security measures and more robust oversight of foreign influence in parliament. Some have called for reforms to parliamentary hiring practices, noting that aides and assistants often have access to sensitive information with limited background checks. Others have pointed to the need for greater transparency regarding political donations and lobbying, particularly in light of ongoing investigations into alleged Chinese payments to politicians.
As for Maximilian Krah, his political future remains uncertain. Despite the controversies, he has managed to maintain a foothold in German politics, buoyed by the AfD’s continued popularity. The party is currently topping some nationwide polls, even surpassing Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives, according to Reuters. Yet, the ongoing investigations and the shadow of espionage threaten to erode public trust—not just in Krah, but in the political process itself.
For many observers, the case of Jian Guo serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing modern democracies: the ever-present threat of foreign interference, the complexities of global intelligence operations, and the delicate balance between political competition and national security. As Germany grapples with these issues, the outcome of this high-profile espionage trial is likely to resonate far beyond the courtroom in Dresden.
The story is far from over, as investigations continue and the German public awaits further details from the court’s written reasoning. But for now, the conviction of Jian Guo stands as a dramatic cautionary tale about the vulnerabilities of open societies in an age of geopolitical rivalry.