A former aide to a far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) politician has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for spying on behalf of China. Jian Guo, a German national, was convicted on Tuesday of acting as an agent for Chinese intelligence while working for Maximilian Krah, a former MEP who now sits in the Bundestag.
The Dresden court heard that Guo gathered confidential documents and personal information about top AfD figures, including leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, and monitored Chinese dissidents in Europe between 2019 and 2024. He passed this information to Chinese authorities. Guo denied the charges but was found guilty.
Presiding judge Hans Schlüter-Staats told Guo: “There is no question that you were an employee of a Chinese intelligence service.” A female Chinese accomplice, identified only as Yaqi X, received a suspended sentence of one year and nine months for providing Guo with information about flights, cargo, and passengers from Leipzig/Halle airport, including details on military vehicles, troops, and drones.
Krah, who employed Guo based on his language skills and business experience, said he had taken steps to improve security in his office after the arrest. He welcomed the trial, stating it gave him clarity about people “of whom I have become a victim”. Separately, Dresden prosecutors are investigating Krah on suspicion of bribery and money laundering related to alleged payments from China, which he denies.
The case has raised concerns about Chinese espionage in Europe. Beijing has previously denied such accusations, calling them attempts to smear China.
