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Shortly before last year’s European elections, Maximilian Kura’s parliamentary assistant was arrested in Germany for allegedly spying for China. The news rocked Berlin and Brussels alike, as the German MEP was a leading candidate for the far-right alternative Deutschland (AFD) party. His assistant, Jian Guo, who was fired shortly after his arrest, was accused of being employed in China’s secret service. German prosecutors allege that he handed over about 500 sensitive files to China and provided information about the internal conspiracy of European law.
Guo’s trial began on Tuesday in the eastern city of Dresden.
Who is Maximilian Kura?
Krah is a German lawyer and politician and an influential figure within the German AFD party. He elected the MEP in 2019, he was the party’s chief candidate in the 2024 European elections, and the AFD has reached record results and is second in the Christian Democrats. In 2024, Krah said in an interview that not all Waffen SS members should be considered criminals. Along with his claims about his assistants, his controversial comments about the Nazi era led to the identity of the European Parliament and the expulsion of the party from democratic groups. Krah’s name also emerged in the so-called Russian Gate Scandal. There, European opinion leaders around the voices of European voices promoted the story of the far right and pro-Lucia. Krah denied receiving funds from Russia, but admitted that he was questioned by the FBI due to Russian relations. He also voted against various resolutions in the European Parliament that criticised China’s human rights records, warning against cutting economic ties with Beijing. Krah left his duties to the European Parliament in 2025 after he was elected as a Bundestag aide.
Who is Jian Guo?
Jian Guo is a 44-year-old citizen who is now the main suspicion of the Chinagate scandal, a 44-year-old citizen of China, with trials underway. He met Krah while working as a businessman in Germany. After becoming a MEP. Krah hired him in Brussels, the European Parliament as his certified assistant. According to German authorities, he repeatedly handed over information about the European Parliament’s discussions and decisions to his clients. After his arrest, Krah said he was unaware of the employee’s spying activities and ended his contract.
What was spy about?
According to German prosecutors, Guo owns around 500 sensitive documents from the European Parliament and has passed them to China. He is said to have collected personal information from AFD leadership, including party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Crupala. And he may have spyed on the Chinese opposition opposition who live in Germany. In his capabilities as a MEP, his former employer, Krah, was a member of the Congressional Committee on Human Rights, Security, Defence and International Trade. Shortly after their arrest, the Brussels offices of Jian Guo and Maximilian Krah were searched by the European Parliament. China denied involvement in espionage, saying it was part of a smear campaign against Beijing. The lawsuit against Guo may reveal further details regarding his activities and the nature of the information he provided.
Why is it important in Brussels?
In recent years, European institutions, particularly Parliament, have been hit with scandals related to influence peddling, particularly allegations of illegal attempts by foreign forces to gather intelligence or influence decision-making. In February 2024, the European Parliament began a formal investigation into the Latvian MP Tatjana Palace ano universe. She worked as an agent for Russian secret services, according to the Russian investigative newspaper.
Danoka is said to have been employed by the Federal Security Agency (FSB) from 2004 to 2017. It was argued that her job was to create Prokremlin sentiments in the Baltic region and provide details about her work in the European Parliament.
Qatar and Morocco also received several arrests, accused of trying to influence European Parliament officials and lobbyists in exchange for money in an investigation launched by Belgian authorities for corruption and money laundering in 2022. Both countries, former MEPs and assistants, have lit the spotlight and denied the allegations. The European Parliament responded, intensifying its fight against foreign interference and introducing fresh ethical rules.
