China rejects espionage accusations in Germany

'We call on Germany to desist from exploiting the espionage accusation to politically manipulate the image of China and defame China,' a spokesperson said.

The flags of Germany and China

Credit: Reuters File Photo

Berlin: China firmly rejects accusations that it carried out spying activities in Germany, its embassy in Berlin said on Monday, after three Germans were arrested on suspicion of working with the Chinese secret service.

"We call on Germany to desist from exploiting the espionage accusation to politically manipulate the image of China and defame China," a spokesperson for the embassy said in an emailed statement.

The arrests came a week after Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled to China to press Beijing on its support for Russia's wartime economy and to raise issues of intellectual property theft and fair market access.