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Subject
Chinese espionage in Brussels.
Significance
A former EU ambassador, Gerhard Sabathil, is under investigation by German authorities on suspicion of spying on behalf of China. The case sheds light on Beijing’s espionage and political influence activities on European soil.
Impacts
Neutralising political dissent and stealing intellectual property will remain the main concerns of China’s intelligence services.
Brussels is becoming a hotspot for Chinese intelligence, suggesting that Beijing sees Belgium as a relatively safe operating environment.
Chinese intelligence will become more active in EU affairs as the bloc’s importance in global geopolitics increases.
Keywords:
international relations,
espionage,
foreign policy,
security,
EU,
China,
AP,
Belgium,
Europe,
Germany,
United States,
Western Europe,
CHINA/EU
© Oxford Analytica 2020. All rights reserved. This content contains general information about geopolitical, macroeconomic and social developments or (where stated) other matters. It does not contain advice or recommendations that may be relied on. Where links to external websites are provided, this does not indicate that Oxford Analytica or Emerald agree with, endorse or have checked for accuracy the contents of said sites.
2020
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