Suddenly, Chinese spies seem to be appearing all over Europe

Warsaw: One of them, a young British man known for his harsh views on China, worked as an assistant to a prominent member of the British Parliament. Another, a German citizen of Chinese descent, was an assistant to a member of the European Parliament who represented Germany’s far-right.

Although they came from different countries and had seemingly divergent backgrounds and perspectives, both men became caught up last week in accusations of espionage on behalf of China and in a growing backlash in Europe against malign Chinese influence in politics and trade.

In total, six people in three separate cases were accused in Europe of spying for China: two in Britain and four in Germany.

On Friday, as the two Britons made initial court appearances in London, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in the latest effort by the two rivals to keep communications open even as disputes over trade and national security escalate. and geopolitical frictions.