A court in the eastern city of Dresden began the trial of two people suspected of spying for China.

One of the defendants, a former assistant to a lawmaker from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, is accused of passing on information to the Chinese since 2002.

What are the allegations?

The former AfD aide, identified only as Jian G. under German privacy laws, is charged with providing information to Chinese intelligence for decades.

The period includes a more recent time when he worked for Maximilian Krah — at the time a member of the European Parliament for the far-right populist party.

Prosecutors in Dresden accuse Jian G. of passing on information on debates and decisions at the European Parliament, along with other information. He is suspected of illegally accessing more than 500 documents that the parliament, of which his boss Krah was a member between 2019 and 2025, had classified as "particularly sensitive."

G., who was arrested in the eastern German city of Dresden in April 2024, is also suspected of gathering information on senior AfD figures including party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla.

It is also possible that information collected by Jian G. includes sensitive details about the workings of the AfD itself, the revelation of which could prove an embarrassment to the party. However, Krah has told news magazine Der Spiegel that he never discussed certain internal problems with the defendant.

The second defendant, named only as Jaqi X., worked at a company that provided Leipzig airport with logistics services. She is accused of helping Jian G. access information on flights and passengers, especially to do with the transport of defense equipment.

Krah himself is under separate investigation on suspicion of money laundering and corruption partly connected with firms linked to Jian G.

He was also at the center of a scandal over remarks that seemed to downplay the seriousness of the crimes committed by the Nazis' notorious SS, but nonetheless currently sits as an AfD member of the German lower house, or Bundestag.

What was said in court?

At the start of his trial, Jian G. denied allegations of spying for China. His defense lawyer rejected the charges in court, saying G. had never agreed to pass on any information.

DW correspondent Matthew Moore was present at the court for the proceedings. 

Jian G. entered the courtroom slowly, said Moore, wearing a mask to conceal his face from the cameras.

"His demeanor belied the gravity of the charges he faces," said Moore.

Described as a committed employee, G. mainly worked on foreign trade, the lawyer said. Given his background and language skills, he was also responsible for managing relations with China and held talks in that context.

The defense acknowledged that some of the people G. interacted with could have had ties to Chinese intelligence, but insisted there was no evidence of intentional cooperation

Meanwhile, alleged accomplice Jaqi X. testified that she was unaware of any intelligence links between Jian G. and Chinese authorities. However, she admitted passing information to him because he worked in the European Parliament and was, in her words, committed to fostering strong ties between China and Germany through the AfD.

In a statement read out in court, X told judges that she had had an affair with G around 2015 shortly after moving to Germany.

According to DW's correspondent, she said he was "obsessed with money" and described himself to her as someone "who lived in the darkness."

How long will the trial last?

Federal prosecutors have described the espionage case as "particularly serious," citing extensive Chinese surveillance activities targeting Germany and the EU.

"This case is exemplary of China's intelligence efforts concerning Germany's political, economic, and military affairs," said Federal Prosecutor Stephan Morweiser on the sidelines of the trial in Dresden. He said the spying extended from monitoring AfD leadership to tracking troop movements.

The trial at Dresden's Higher Regional Court is expected to last through the end of September, with 13 days of hearings scheduled.

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Edited by: Wesley Rahn